A
by EbonyBlack13
Summary: AU where Sburb is a seemingly normal computer game, and all the characters play it. Humanstuck in real life, but normal in game. Kar/Nep eventually, canon ships, and a couple others. Rated T for language.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1 **

**Author Rant: Ok so a little warning about my writing style, I don't like curse words. Even though I did read homestuck and I do watch homestuck videos filled with curse words and such. I still don't like cursing… I have a pure mind. :33 So instead I just blanked them out. I hope this doesn't bother anyone. If it does, you don't have to read this story, simple as that. (some OOC, but that's always there in fanfics)**

**== Be Karkat**

Karkat stared at the screen, drumming his fingers on his desk as he waited for the game to load. How the hell did it takes this long for one game to load? He was tempted to smash his fist through the screen. He would've given up straight away any other day, but his friend had told him this game was the best there was.

Karkat had gotten Sburb from his friend at school. Given the type of friend he was, Karkat bet it was a terrible game. Although, he was giving it to everyone, whether he liked them or not, so it might be good.

After at least half an hour, the game dinged to say it was loaded. Karkat glared at the screen as it changed to a character selection screen. It had several different race options, all of them non-traditional except for human. They were carapacian, troll, leprechaun, and cherub. Karkat debated between the races, finally settling on troll.

He selected male, and saw a character with a basic design appear. Karkat switched the hair to match his style, shaggy and purposely messed up. He tried to change the color from black but it wouldn't budge. He frowned and moved on. The eye color was also stuck on black, with a weird yellow-orange in place of the whites of the eyes. The horns on his head were big, stretching up to touch the end of the screen. Karkat frowned and attempted to change them to the smallest ones he could, but those were still too big. Then he spotted a small button that had a red drop on it. He wasn't sure what made him click it, but he did. On his head appeared tiny rounded horns.

He clicked the next button and was told to decide clothing for his character. At the moment he was wearing a plain black t-shirt and grey shorts. Karkat frowned, and made the shirt a black turtleneck and the shorts, jeans. He clicked next yet again.

The game congratulated him on his new character, assigning him a red Cancer symbol on his shirt. He didn't like the color, so he changed it to a more subdued grey. He clicked next yet again to find a character name generator.

Sburb informed him that the name had to consist of two words, the second one with the first letter capitalized. _What kind of screen name is that?_ He wondered.

He scowled at the screen. He knew this game was going to be terrible already. He rubbed his temples and stared at the cancer symbol on his shirt. He blinked slowly, sitting up and typed in his idea.

**== carcinoGeneticist **

The game paused for a second and then let out a small ding, telling him that his name was unique. Good.

Sburb dropped him off in the middle of a bustling town square. Everywhere he looked there were trolls. It seemed there were mainly trolls in this game. There were a small amount of humans huddling in the corner and cherubs were sparsely mixed in the crowd. They were leaving the square and not staying around like the other species. There weren't many leprechauns, but Karkat wasn't too surprised by that. He didn't see any carapacians at all. He assumed they had another drop off point specifically for them, or something. Maybe they just weren't that popular.

"Hey look! It's another troll!" someone in the crowd that surrounded him said in the public chat. They looked slightly angry, but some looked gleeful as they traded money. He realized they were taking bets on what species would come out next.

Karkat quickly moved out of the circle, not wanting to become involved. Suddenly a button started flashing on the left side of the screen. He clicked it.

**First Objective:**

**Trolls come in sets of twelve. You must find the other twelve in your group, starting with the lowest color in your group. Your symbol is in the Zodiac Alphabet. Find the eleven other Zodiac trolls, and you will move on to the next stage. Good luck. **

The window closed automatically, before another came up with twelve strange symbols on it, all dark grey against a black background except for his, which was light gray. He exited out of the window and noticed a something in the corner of his screen. He clicked on it.

**ectoBiologist wants to pester you. Accept? Yes / No**

Karkat notice a boy walk up to him and wave at his character. He growled and clicked yes.

CG: WHAT THE F*** DO YOU WANT?

EB: why are you typing in all caps? do you want people to think you're yelling at them?

CG: MAYBE THE CAPS LOCK BROKE, F***A**.

EB: no need to call names! I just wanted to know what your first objective is.

CG: IT'S SOMETHING ABOUT FINDING ELEVEN OTHER TROLLS. WHY?

EB: I only have to find three other humans. sounds like you got it rough.

CG: F*** YEAH I DO. IT'S PRETTY OBVIOUS THAT I SHOULD'VE JUST STUCK WITH BEING HUMAN. IT SEEMS THE PATHETIC HUMANS HAVE IT WAY EASIER THAN TROLLS.

CG: NO F***ING SURPRISE THERE.

EB: but… really I think we have it equally hard, because there are fewer humans than trolls. and trolls have set colors too. with humans it could be anything.

CG: WHAT THE F***? SET COLORS?

EB: yeah. the game selected a random color for your symbol, right? Even if you changed it, it's still going to be the same. I'm not quite sure what it means though.

CG: S***, THAT DOESN'T HELP ME AT ALL.

EB: yeah, well I guess you'll figure it out later.

CG: I THINK I SEE SOMEONE FROM MY GROUP. BYE.

Karkat exited the chat and followed after the person he'd seen. He couldn't quite tell if it was someone from his group but he recognized the symbol from somewhere. He didn't really get a good look at the person either.

While he was thinking, he lost sight of the troll. He facepalmed and grumbled to himself. There were a lot of people around, but it wasn't that hard to follow someone. He scanned the street he was in, looking for the troll.

**arsenicCatnip wants to troll you. Accept? Yes / No**

The screen popped out of nowhere, but he clicked yes, wondering who this new person was.

AC: :33 *ac stalks from above, her purrey unaware*

CG: WHAT THE F*** ARE YOU DOING?

AC: :33 *ac leaps mightily to the ground, landing on her purrey*

The troll he had been following earlier was suddenly on top of him, knocking him to the ground on his stomach.

CG: A**HOLE, GET THE F*** OFF OF ME!

AC: :33 *ac purrs* are you alright? are you one of the trolls I'm looking fur?

CG: I DON'T KNOW, ALRIGHT? GET OFF ME.

AC: :33 purrhaps if you show me your shirt?

CG: F*** WHATEVER.

The girl leaped off of him. He stood, crossing his arms defiantly so she couldn't see his symbol. He noticed that she moved in a cat-like way. She had an oversized olive green trench coat and shoulder length messy black hair. She had a blue beanie covering her hair and cat ear-like horns. Poking out of the back of her trench coat was a blue tail.

AC: :33 I'm Nepeta! who are you?

CG: IM NOT TELLING YOU MY F***ING NAME!

AC: :33 *ac folds back ears* pawease?

CG: F*** OFF.

AC: :33 *ac pouts* can I s33 your shirt meow?

CG: FINE.

Karkat finally uncrossed his characters arms from in front of his shirt, and was immediately tackled.

AC: :33 *ac purrs* Yay! You're in my group!

Nepeta's character was grinning gleefully, as a notification popped up on the first objective icon. Karkat clicked the button and saw that the sign for Leo was now lit up in olive green, the same as the symbol on her shirt.

AC: :33 what's your color? it's still gray on my objective scr33n.

CG: EVER THINK IT MIGHT BE GRAY FOR A REASON?

AC: :33 ok mister grumpy pants! Be that way.

**ectoBiologist wants to pester you. Accept? Yes / No **

CG: I HAVE ANOTHER CHAT REQUEST. I HAVE TO LEAVE.

AC: :33 just add them to this one.

CG: ALRIGHT, FINE.

Karkat clicked yes and dragged the human into the conversation.

CG: THERE.

EB: did you find the troll in your group yet?

AC: :33 yes! it was meow!

CG: DON'T INTERUPT ME!

AC: :33 I'm sorry… *ac pouts*

CG: AND STOP ROLEPLAYING. IT'S F***ING ANNOYING.

Karkat rubbed his temples. This stupid girl was giving him a headache.

EB: hey don't talk to people like that! She can role-play if she wants to.

AC: :33 thanks, but if it annoys people I'll stop.

CG: THANK GOG.

EB: gog?

CG: *GOD. I HATE MY F***ING COMPUTER.

AC: :33 you do? I'll have to add that to my shipping wall! :33

CG: SHIPPING WALL? WHAT THE F*** IS THAT?

AC: :33 romantic pairings! I k33p a sketchbook of them in my room, but I like to call it a wall.

CG: WHAT THE F*** DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH ME HATING MY COMPUTER?

AC: :33 I read online that in this game, trolls can romantically hate someone. It's called a kismesis, and is refurred to as spades or black romance.

CG: WHERE THE HELL DID YOU FIND THAT?

AC: :33 I don't know. I know a lot of stuff when it comes to shipping :33

EB: not to interrupt or anything, but could you guys help me find the humans in my group? I'd be really grateful if you did :B

CG: F*** NO.

AC: :33 don't mind him. We'd be delighted to help you! what's your name?

EB: oh… John.

CG: HOW AM I NOT SURPRISED. SO ORDINARY.

AC: :33 hi John! I'm Nepeta! Mr. grumpy pants here doesn't want tell us his name.

EB: why not?

"Karkat! Dinner!"

Karkat was momentarily startled at the interruption and stared in the direction the voice had come from.

"Be there in a f***ing minute!" he called back.

CG: I HAVE TO GO.

EB: bye! nep and I'll find the humans while you're gone.

CG: BYE.

Karkat closed out of the screen and shut down his computer. Most likely he wouldn't be going back on tonight. He went downstairs before his dad started yelling again. His elder brother sat, eagerly waiting for food. As if he didn't know it was going to be seafood. It was all their dad knew how to cook.

Karkat slumped into the chair across from his brother and made an effort to eat the fish.

"You know Karkat, it can be considered very impolite to curse insome settings."he continued to talk for a couple of minutes about some random thing.

As usual, Karkat stared frowning at Kankri until he finished his lecture. He liked to pass on tons of "brotherly wisdom." He never let Karkat respond, ever. It wasn't like he was listening anyways, he just tuned him out.

"Kankri, leave your brother alone," Dad said. He didn't talk much, but when he did he was serious.

"Fine." Kankri's mouth twisted into a slight frown. He'd probably start up again right after Dad went back to his office. F***.

**A/R: Edit2: Please continue reading, it does get better I promise!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 **

**== Be Nepeta**

Nepeta sighed after shutting down her computer. She and John had searched the newbie landing site for hours with no luck. She bet that having the Cancer with them would've helped. The more people they had, the better. Before turning it off she had looked up his character image and found herself staring at it. She doubted it looked anything like him in real life, especially since it was a troll, but she liked looking at it all the same. Nepeta quickly went to the room next to hers to get a shower, falling asleep mulling over the game.

Nepeta woke up to her alarm and frantically got dressed. She was early, but she needed to be on the first day of the semester. She had almost forgotten about it, but remembered in the nick of time last night, logging off the computer before she stayed up the entire night as she sometimes did. She had to be ready for her new classes today.

Hurriedly, she gathered up her backpack, blue beanie, and brown trench coat, throwing some money into her pocket for lunch. She rushed out the door to find her best friend waiting for her in the driveway like always. He had a dark blue SUV. She didn't really like it, it was way too big, but he seemed to love it.

"Thanks so much Equius!"

"It is no problem." The man behind the wheel, a senior, had a very interesting choice of dress. He wore shorts with leggings beneath them and a black muscle shirt. He had weird smashed sunglasses too. People used to bully him about all his weirdness, but he's really strong and kind of creepy so they stopped.

They passed through town, whizzing by different restaurants and stores, Nepeta chattering away as usual. Equius only grunted in affirmation occasionally. When they reached the school, she lapsed into silence, preparing herself for a long day.

As soon as he parked, Nepeta waved goodbye and rushed into the school and skidded on the floor, knocking into a person next to her locker.

"Whoa there, sister, slow down." A tall and imposing guy looked down at her. His hair is messy and longer than hers. Some of it sticks straight up. He wears baggy sweatpants and a short sleeve shirt. He had a glazed expression on his face. Nepeta's heard of him, she knows he does drugs a lot.

"Sorry. Are you alright?"

"Sure am, motherf***er." He grins sleepily.

She shook her head and skittered off to hand back old books to her previous teachers. They smiled at her and patted her on the head. All of her teachers love her, not like she was trying to brag or anything. After she finished, having lengthy conversations with some of the teachers, she pulled out her new schedule she received yesterday. She walked calmly to her first period class, Geometry with Mrs. Ricks. Nepeta brought out a blue folder and 5-subject notebook. Math classes always needed a five subject notebook. Always.

She got a pencil and her sketchbook out, which she normally carried with her, and started sketching a ship that not many people supported. She thought they looked cute together, though. After drawing the basic sketch she smiled and flipped the page to draw the cancer and an old computer with a spades between them. She giggled at that. She was a pretty good artist, and had 2 art classes this semester. Well if foods counts as an art class, which she seemed to think it did.

The chair in front of her scraped in front of her scraped on the ground and she was startled into looking up, it was just one of her classmates that she knew. She looked around and saw that about half the class was sitting around and chatting in the room.

The early bell rang, and she hurriedly stuffed her blue beanie in her pocket, not wanted to get yelled at. She tucked her sketch book in between her books, handling it carefully. She began to doodle absentmindedly in the back of her notebook, waiting for the class to begin. The late bell rang and she closed the book.

"Welcome to Geometry, I'm-" the teacher began to say.

The door burst open, interrupting the teacher. A short boy stood there breathing heavily. His hair was spiked and all over the place, dark brown in color. He was wearing a black oversized long sleeved shirt and dark skinny jeans. He was scowling, as if the world had down something wrong to him.

"Sorry," he muttered glancing around the class and sitting in the chair next to hers. It was, of course, the only open one in the class.

Nepeta watched him for a second before turning back to the teacher.

"As I was saying, I'm Mrs. Ricks."And with that she began to take role.

Nepeta began to doodle her character from the game in her notebook. She'd been pretty creative with it, she thought. A lot of cat elements involved. Nepeta loved cats.

"Nepeta Leijon?"

"Here," she looked up at the teacher, raising her hand slightly. She could feel the gaze of the boy next to her, and she shifted uncomfortably.

She looked back down at the drawings and started drawing a cat.

"Karkat Vantas?"

"Here," a gruff voice to her right answered. Nepeta snorted quietly at the name. It was just as strange as hers. Not that she minded the strangeness of her own. At least she never had anyone with the same name.

She randomly drew a car with cat ears and a tail, an impish smile on her face.

The class dragged on boringly, as they just went over the syllabus like always on the first day. Karkat, the boy next to her, continually stared at her for some reason.

She frowned at the doodle on a blank page. She had drawn it without thinking, and it was sort of embarrassing. It was of her troll and the cancer. She hastily flipped to a clean page hoping no one had seen it.

"That's all for today. You may talk quietly among yourselves for the last five minutes."

Nepeta finished the doodle she had been working on and looked over at Karkat.

"Why do you keep staring at me?"

He blushed slightly, it was kind of cute.

"You just remind of someone, is that ok?" he snapped.

She flinched a little, but shook it off.

"Who do I remind you of?"

"Just someone I met on the internet. It's none of your f***ing business." He paused for a second, turning away. Then his curiosity got the better of him. "What were you drawing?"

"Oh, um, it's nothing really!" She blushes bright red.

"Obviously not nothing." He frowned.

"My drawings are very purrsonal to me!" She winced at the cat pun. They often slipped out when she was nervous. "I guess I could show you a few though…" She trailed off as she flipped to the first page. It had her troll on it, as well as the car-cat.

"…f*** you."

She shrugged. She flipped through her sketchbook and found one of her favorite ships.

"Do you know what shipping is?" she asked eagerly.

"Yeah, why?"

"This is my OTP! They are sooo cute together." She grinned and placed the book in front of him.

"Who are these people?"

"You don't know them?"

"No…"

"That's X and X. I liked that anime a lot, but it wasn't really my favorite," she mused.

"Anime?"

"You don't know what anime is? I assumed you did since you know what shipping is. It's not just an anime thing though."

"Well… What the f*** is it?"

"It's like, cartoons, except so much better. Well I guess there are some good cartoons, but anime is better than most. It's Japanese animation. You should try it out!"

"Yeah, well, maybe."

The bell rings for the next class and Nepeta picked up her stuff, rushing to the next class.

**A/R: Insert your OTP in for Nepeta's in your head. I don't know what Nepeta's OTP would be beside herself and Karkat really. Edit2: Finally got around to editing… Yeah.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3:**

**== Be Karkat**

"Yo, Karbro, what's for motherf***ing lunch?" he heard a voice behind him.

The next period had been pretty boring, just like the first. Third period wasn't much better, but he did have two friends in it.

"I didn't pack your f***ing lunch," He grumbled.

"I'm buying today, motherf***er."

"Oh. I don't pay attention to the announcements. Don't ask me!"

"I think it wath pithza."

"They always have pizza."

"Yeth but I think that wath the main thing for today."

"Whatever, do you know who else is in our lunch?"

"No one really… exthept Terethi."

"Seriously? F*** Terezi."

"We don't have to thit with her, you know."

"Yeah, well we might as well." Karkat grumbled.

Sollux shrugged at him and looked around for Terezi.

"Karkles!" A voice piped up from the back of the cafeteria.

"Hey Terezi." Karkat sighed as he walked over and sat down across from her and Sollux. Gamzee had headed over to the lunch line.

"Mind if I sit here?" Karkat looked over his shoulder and saw Nepeta.

"Uh…no." He said, slightly disgruntled.

"Sorry I'm barging in. I just don't have many friends in this lunch." She laughed lightly.

"Nepeta, this is Terezi and Sollux. Guys, this is Nepeta."

"When did you meet Karkles?"

"He's in my first period class." She smiled.

"Oooh. Just met him then? Then you don't know all his little secrets?" Terezi grinned maliciously.

"Thop it, TZ. It'th getting f***ing annoying. You do thith every time KK getth a new friend."

"But I'm having fun! Look, Karkles is blushing!"

"Like you can f***ing see it!"

"I'm insulted! How could you say such a thing!" she said mockingly.

"F*** you."

"You should know by now what my response to that is." She smiled like a shark.

"What did he mean about you not being able to see it?" Nepeta piped up.

"I'm blind," she said nonchalantly. Nepeta smiled hesitantly, and nodded. She wasn't quite sure how to respond to that.

"Hey, motherf***ers, I got pizza! You were right, Solbro. It's all they were motherf***ing serving in that miracle-hole."

"I knew it," Sollux smirked at Karkat.

"Gamzee, Nepeta. Nepeta, Gamzee. Yes, he's always like this."

"I saw you earlier, sister. In the motherf***ing hallway this morning?"

"Uh, yeah." Nepeta had sat across from Karkat and whipped out her sketch pad once more.

"You're an artist? So am I!" Terezi exclaimed. "Can I look at your art?"

"Um, well I don't really like showing my things to other people but I guess this notebook's alright."

Terezi grabbed it from her and started flipping through the papers.

"These are really good! You like anime?"

"Yeah! Do you?"

"Not really, but I like the art style."

"So do I, but I also like the actual shows and books."

"What's this?" Terezi held up the drawing of her troll.

"Oh, that's my character from a new game I just started playing, Sburb."

"Really? We all play that! Karkat just got started, though. Maybe we can meet up in game?"

"Thoundth fine to me, we thhould plan it thometime."

"Did you ever complete your first objective?" Nepeta asked. "It's taking me forever, I only found one person so far."

"I've found three people. Anyone elthe find anyone?"

"I found one. Somehow, the game randomly assigned me to Gamzee's group! How weird is that?" Terezi cackled.

"Wouldn't it be funny if we were all in the same group?" Karkat said.

"That would be the biggest coincidence in history." Terezi laughed.

"Have you found anyone, KK?"

"Yeah, just one person."

"Alright everyone, write your thcreen name on thith paper and I'll meththage you all." Sollux tore off a sticky note he had in his pile of stuff, handing it to Gamzee.

When everyone had finished, Nepeta looked over the list.

terminallyCapricious, gallowsCalibrator, arsenicCatnip, carcinoGeneticist

"Mine'th twinArmageddonth."

Karkat saw Nepeta glancing down at the paper and around at the people in confusion, and he started picking on Terezi to distract her.

"Of course you chose gallowsCallibrator, Terezi. Was everything to do with lawyers taken?" Karkat mocked.

"No. I happen to like history as well!" she sniffed, somehow managing to look disdainful while still smiling widely. "What about yours? That I don't understand at all! I thought you wanted to join the army?"

"Yeah, well I chose my f***ing tag based on my f***ing symbol, not because I liked it. I'm starting to think I should've chosen something else."

"Aw, don't worry, best friend. You can all up and mother***ing change it if you want."

"Actually no you can't. The game ith very thtrict about thith, thorry KK."

"It's fine. I'll just stick with it."

Nepeta still seemed confused, but she didn't speak up. Karkat breathed an inner sigh of relief, but he knew she would probably ask him about it in game. This definitely sucked.

The group bantered around for a while before the bell rang, and they went their separate ways.

Karkat walked home slowly, feeling the sun's warmth on his skin as he closed his eyes. The day was brisk, but occasionally the sun would peak through the clouds. He wasn't sure why he didn't want Nepeta to know who he was. He guessed it was probably because it would add a layer of awkwardness to their relationship, especially since he hadn't mentioned that he was the Cancer when he first met her. He frowned and opened his eyes, he was nearing his house. It didn't take long to get to it, but there was still a bus that would drop him off if he wanted to ride it.

He opened the door and saw that his brother wasn't home yet. Thank God. Dad was probably in his office, like always. Karkat walked slowly upstairs, dropping his book bag next to his desk. He turned on his compute and waited for it to load. While he waited, he pulled out all of the syllabuses he needed to sign and get signed by his dad. He'd do that later, though.

He inserted the game disk and, thankfully, it didn't take as long to load this time. He selected his character and saw that Nepeta was already online. He shrugged and decided to message her. He clicked the button that showed she was online, on the right of the screen, and it came up with several options. They were troll, view, locate, and teleport. He clicked troll, mentally noting to try out the other features later.

**Are you sure you want to troll arsenicCatnip? Yes / No**

He grimaced at the screen and clicked yes.

CG: DON'T YOU HAVE HOMEWORK TO DO?

AC: :33 nope! mew semester started today!

CG: SAME HERE. WHAT A COINCIDENCE.

AC: :33 cool! any good classes?

CG: NOT REALLY. I CHOSE ALL TERRIBLE CLASSES THAT ARE REQUIRED FOR GRADUATION.

AC: :33 so you don't like your mew classes at all? 33:

CG: WELL THE PEOPLE ARE FINE. I JUST HATE THE GODD*** SUBJECTS.

AC: :33 I could help you if you wanted :33

CG: NO F***ING WAY.

AC: :33 just trying to help… I wanted to ask you something. do you go to my school?

CG: WHAT SCHOOL?

AC: :33 nefurmind. I probably shouldn't tell you where I live, should I?

CG: YEAH, FOR ALL YOU KNOW I COULD BE A F***ING PEDOPHILE.

AC: :33 hopefurly not! :33 you just s33m so similar, and someone at school wrote your username on a piece of paper. I thought fur sure it was mew!

**-ectoBiologist joined the log—**

EB: hello!

CG: F***.

AC: :33 hi john! did you have a good day at school?

EB: yeah!

AC: :33 did you get mew classes like us or did you stay the same?

EB: my dad would probably let me change them if I wanted to, but we kept them the same. I'm homeschooled.

AC: :33 that's pawsome!

CG: YEAH, YEAH. ARE WE GOING TO HELP HIM OR NOT.

EB: help me what?

CG: FIND YOUR F***ING HUMAN FRIENDS, THAT'S WHAT.

EB: oh yeah! sure! it would be a real help!

CG: HANG ON, I GOT ANOTHER MESSAGE.

**twinArmageddons wants to troll you. Accept? Yes / No**

Karkat clicked yes.

TA: hey KK, niice character de2iign.

CG: F*** YOU.

TA: ha, 2tiill a loudmouth a2 alway2. Anyway2, we're goiing to be meetiing up iin the town 2quare of the newbiie town.

CG: OK, ON MY WAY.

Karkat exited the chat and started walking to the town square. He went back to the other chat as he walked.

**-carcinoGeneticist joined the log- **

CG: I'M BACK.

AC: :33 hello!

Karkat scrolled up to view the previous messages and saw that he hadn't missed much.

AC: :33 who was the message from?

CG: JUST SOMEONE I KNOW FROM REAL LIFE.

AC: :33 cool!

Karkat finally entered the square and saw Sollux over by a signpost. He had two sets of horns, both short, but one set was shorter than the other. He had glasses over his eyes; one lens was blue and the other red. On his shirt was a mustard yellow sign for Gemini.

Karkat instantly messaged him.

CG: SOLLUX, IT LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE IN MY GROUP.

TA: 2tupiid game. How the hell diid iit do thi2?

CG: I DON'T F***ING CARE. WHERE ARE THE PEOPLE YOU FOUND?

TA: oh, they're here. Ii'll add them two the chat.

**-arachnidsGrip joined the log—**

AG: heeeeeeeey guys! ::::)

**-adiosToreador joined the log—**

AT: uH, hI, iT'S VERY NICE TO MEET YOU, i, uH, tHINK,

**-cuttlefishCuller joined the log –**

CC: ) (I! 38D

TA: what about you, KK?

CG: F*** WE'RE ON THE F***ING INTERNET. DON'T SHOUT OUT FOR EVERYONE WHAT MY F***ING NAME IS!

TA: 2orry, crabby.

CG: HA HA. VERY FUNNY. SEE LOOK AT HOW HARD I AM LAUGHING RIGHT NOW. IT'S LIKE A F***ING PARTY UP IN HERE, THAT'S HOW MUCH I'M LAUGHING.

TA: iim going to call you crabby from now on.

CG: THANK YOU SO F***ING MUCH.

**-arsenicCatnip joined the log—**

Karkat looked around the arena and saw that Nepeta had joined the group. He furrowed his brow worriedly, this was it. The truth was about to come out, and he knew it.

**A/R: Edit2: HUMP DAAAAY! Sorry had to get that out of my system. I apologize if you aren't reading this on a Wednesday.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**== Be Nepeta**

Nepeta smiled at the screen. If Karkat was the cancer, she would probably find out now. She jumped into their chat and started talking.

AC: :33 hello!

TA: you're nepeta, riight?

AC: yes! :33

TA: glad two 2ee you could joiin u2. TZ'2 on her way riight now.

CG: F***, NOT AGAIN. WHY DID YOU HAVE TO GIVE HER A COPY OF THIS F***ING GAME?

TA: becau2e we're friiend2 wiith her.

CG: YEAH, WHATEVER.

TA: who'2 the per2on you found?

CG: NEPETA.

TA: what? Why diidn't you 2ay that at lunch?

AC: :33 what do you mean?

TA: …do you know who CG ii2?

AC: :33 nope! :33

CG: F*** IT, I'M KARKAT.

TA: KK, ii thought you diidn't want to spread your name over the iinternet or whatever.

AC: :33 really? you're karkitty?

AG: he he he I love this, so entertaining

AT: uH, aRE YOU SURE YOU SHOULD BE INTERUPTING?

AG: don't tell me what to do.

Nepeta sat back from the screen, staring at it. She had suspected that Karkitty was the cancer, but she hadn't been completely sure. He had lied to her. She frowned, slightly disappointed.

**-gallowsCallibrator joined the log-**

GC: H3Y 1'M H3R3.

CG: YEAH, WE CAN SEE THAT, F***A**

GC: WOW NO N33D TO B3 OFF3NS1V3!

CG: F*** YOU.

GC: OH, 4ND BY TH3 W4Y 1 BROUGHT G4MZ33, JUST 4 W4RN1NG.

CG: UGH, WHY DID YOU HAVE TO BRING HIM ALONG?

**-terminallyCapricious joined the log-**

TC: HeY bEsT fRiEnD! lEt'S gEt OuR mOtHeRf***iNg GaMe On! :o)

CG: NO.

AC: :33 my goal light is blinking!

CG: WHAT A COINCIDENCE, SO IS MINE.

Nepeta clicked the light and brought it up to full screen. The Gemini sign was now mustard yellow, the Taurus sign was now brown, the Libra sign was now teal, the Scorpio sign was now cerulean, and the Capricorn sign was now indigo.

AC: :33 yay! we're all in the same group!

TA: the odd2 of that happeniing ii2 2o minute ii can't even comprehend how that could happen.

AG: you should all thank me. I have aaaaaaaall the luck!

AC: :33 now if only equihis was in our group too!

CG: YEAH WELL HE PROBABLY WILL BECAUSE F*** ODDS.

Nepeta's stomach growled and she looked at the computer's clock. Her eyes widened when she saw it was 6:00.

AC: :33 I have to go guys, I'm gonna eat dinner!

CG: BYE.

She exited out of the screen and left the computer on, like always. She went downstairs and stuck a pot full of water onto the stove. She left it there to boil and got out some ramen noodles. One of her many cats rubbed her head on her leg, weaving in and out of them. She had a calico coat, and was small for her age. Her eyes were light green, almost yellow.

"Hi, Cookie! Have you eaten yet?" she walked over to the special feeding bowl she kept for all her cats. It was half full at the moment, so she topped it off. "There you go, it's fresh now!" She grinned as the five cats from all over the house came running. They always seemed to know the instant she poured more food for them. Nepeta then walked back to the kitchen and stuck the noodles into the boiling water, setting the timer.

She sighed, sitting down at the table. Ever since her mom died several years ago, Nepeta had been living alone with her sister, Meulin. However, Meulin moved out a couple weeks ago to live with her boyfriend, Kurloz. Now Nepeta lived alone but for her cats. She knew she wasn't old enough, but she was fine. As long as no one found out, she would survive and not have to move away from her best friend. He didn't know about her living alone, of course. Every time he came over she said that her sister was working. He bought it for a while, but he seemed to be getting suspicious.

The timer rang and Nepeta sprang up to finish the ramen. She gobbled it up in record time, trying not to dwell on her thoughts. Mae meowed at her, as if sensing her roiling emotions beneath her usual smile. She curled up in her lap and Nepeta smiled a real smile. Mae was a soft gray cat with jade green eyes. She was from the same litter as her sister's other cat, but she had to leave Mae behind. Having Mae with her was like having a piece of her sister with her.

She picked her up and carried her upstairs to her bed. "Stay put," she said patting the cat on the head. Nepeta got a quick shower and got out the syllabuses for her classes. She forged her sister's signature; she'd been doing this for years. Ever since her mother died Meulin had been close, but she was changed. Nepeta had asked her once to sign a form like this and she'd burst into tears and ran away to her room. She didn't blame her for it.

She sighed, and saw that Mae had fallen asleep on her bed. Cookie was snuggled up with her, and a third cat, Nellie, was meowing at her. She seemed to be asking her to join them. Nepeta smiled and turned out the light as well as the computer. She didn't need to be racking up bills, even if Meulin did pay for it all.

Nepeta woke up the next morning and stretched. Today was a Saturday and she couldn't be happier. She reflected back to yesterday, her Manga Club friends had been talking about Sburb, as well as a new web comic that was released last month. They said good things about it, but she wasn't so sure about it. The concept seemed boring. Perhaps she would try it to see if she liked it.

She walked downstairs and Cookie mewed at her from the bed. Nellie and Mae had left during the night. She was fine with that, cats were very independent creatures. She tugged on her hat that had somehow fallen off in her sleep. It was covered in cat hair. She grinned wryly.

Her phone chimed and she checked it. Not many people texted her, so she didn't have it on all that much. It was from an unknown number. It read:

"ARE YOU MAD AT ME?"

Nepeta frowned at the screen. She guessed it was Karkat, but she wanted to make sure. She texted back: ":33 who are mew and how did mew get my number?"

She waited a couple minutes as she prepared breakfast, still in her pajamas.

"IT'S KARKAT. I ASKED EQUIUS, SOLLUX TOLD ME YOU WERE BEST FRIENDS WITH HIM, OR SOME S***."

She thought that was weird, Equius wasn't the kind of person who would give out her number to strangers. She texted back right away: ":33 yes, equihis is my meowrail! That's the troll equivalent to best friend :33"

"SO? ARE MAD AT ME OR NOT?"

":33 Not mad… just kinda disappointed that you would lie to me."

"I'M SORRY. I KNOW I SHOULDN'T HAVE LIED. I SHOULD'VE KNOWN YOU WOULDN'T CARE."

":33 it's ok! Why don't mew come over? Bring a laptop so we can purrlay sburb together!"

"I DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU LIVE.**"**

"3333 Calle Road. :33"

"OF F***ING COURSE."

Nepeta smiled and leaped into the air. He was coming over! She rushed eating a pop-tart and ran back upstairs to her room. She quickly got changed into a nyan cat shirt and jeans. She brushed her hair and teeth in the bathroom. She spent too much time on her teeth, agonizing over the slightly elongated tips of her canine teeth. Everyone in her family has this weird defect. It wasn't really a big deal except when she accidentally bit her tongue or lips. Then she bled a lot.

She heard the doorbell ring throughout the house, and she couldn't help herself. She squealed. She rushed stealthily down the stairs and opened the door from behind, making no sound. She had made sure that the house was dark and ominous inside.

"Hello? Nepeta?" Karkat called nervously.

"Rawr!" Nepeta yelled as she tackled-pounced him. She laughed, rolling on the floor while he searched for the light switch.

"You scared me half to f***ing death!" Karkat yelled. Cookie came up from behind him and hissed.

"Oh, Cookie doesn't like you." Nepeta blinked at the cat before looking up at Karkat. He stared at her angrily before sighing and looking defeated. She grinned triumphantly. No one could resist her kitty-cat face.

She noticed his bag strapped over one shoulder.

"Yay! You brought it!"

"Well you did ask me to. Is there anyone else here?"

"Nope! Just you and me," Nepeta giggled before running up the stairs. "And Nellie and Cookie and Mae and Stevie and Maggie!"

"What are they, your cats?"

"Yup!" She opened the door to her room and motioned at him from the top of the stairs to come up. She turned on her computer and sat on the floor, leaning up against the bed with it in her lap. As he came in he looked around at the various anime posters and memorabilia from past conventions.

"Wow."

"Sorry it's such a mess, I wasn't expecting company."

Karkat awkwardly sat next to Nepeta and got out his computer. It wasn't a laptop, more like a tablet.

"What version is that?"

"Um, I'm not sure. My dad bought it for me. Where are you parents? Don't people normally have Saturday's off?"

"Yeah, I guess. But I don't really like talking about my parents." Nepeta frowned, and then shook herself. She smiled again. "You ready? If no one else is on, we can mess around on the game and see what it can do."

"Alright." Karkat stuck in the Sburb disc, and so did Nepeta.

And that's when the doorbell rang, for the second time that day.

**A/R: I love cliffhangers :33. Anyways, this is the last chapter I had completed before posting the story. Slow updates now, sorry. I'll try update as often as I can, but school and stuff says no. On another note, my new goal is to have each chapter be at least 1,000 words. Seems like it won't be too hard with the way it's going on now. It feels like it's getting harder to find a place to stop every chapter… Edit2: Lies. Updates are almost every day. (except for the current hiatus…)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**A/R: I actually have followers! *dies of happiness* Seriously, I never would have expected this. I love you all! **

**==Let's be someone different.**

Who do you want to be now?

**==How about Nepeta's sister?**

You mean Meulin? Alright, if that's what you want.

Meulin woke up, exhausted from the night before. Kurloz, her boyfriend, was getting a little overbearing, and she wasn't quite sure if she wanted to continue their relationship. He was very protective of her, which she thought was a good thing at first. She had genuinely loved him, and she thought he had loved her. Now she realized he was an insane person. He had a controlling personality, and fear was overtaking what love she had for him.

Meulin had texted her best friend, Horuss for advice, but he hadn't responded. At least Kurloz had had to leave early that morning for work. He was one of the best sign language interpreters she knew, which was how she had first met him. He didn't like to talk about what had happened to him, to his mouth, but she knew he blamed himself for it. She had tried to shoulder the pain for him, but it had proved too much, especially when she had plenty of her own to bear.

She sighed and scratched June's head between her ears. Kurloz had only allowed her to take one cat from home, leaving all the others behind. Technically though she only owned two, June and Mae. All the other cats were Nepeta's, she named them when she was younger. June was a soft gray with haunting blue eyes that gave her a wise look. Mae was from the same litter, and had the same gray coat. The only difference was the color of their eyes.

Thinking about Mae made Meulin feel nostalgic, and she slowly got up and dressed. She didn't bother brushing her hair, there was no point. It took too long anyways, seeing how long it was. She walked slowly down the hall to the stairs. They were only on the second floor, so she'd rather walk then ride the elevator. Their apartment building was pretty cheap because she still had to support Nepeta. She was very naïve and thought she could do everything on her own. She probably would've gotten a job and worked herself to death to pay for all the bills if Meulin hadn't provided for her. Well it was technically Kurloz that paid for everything, but still.

Meulin had suggested to Kurloz that Nepeta could move in with them, but he had been adamant about it being only them in the apartment.

She opened the door to the lobby, and smiled at the receptionist. He was a nice guy, but a little strange. She liked his hair though, it was cool. She knew he only worked part time because he had a younger brother to take care of. Even though he had several different jobs, from what she'd seen, he was really poor. His car was old and beat up, and most of his clothes were threadbare.

Meulin smiled at the doorman, he just nodded back and took a deep breath of cool fresh air. It had been a while since she went on a walk by herself. Her old house was only a couple blocks from here, in case of an emergency. The trees were all bare, and it wasn't quite walking weather. She shivered in her olive green sweater she had thrown on without regard to the weather. She hurried through the neighborhood and stopped in front of her house. She considered going in for a moment, and couldn't resist the urge. She was cold and tired and…she shouldn't have gone this way.

She stepped up to the door and rang the doorbell. She had a key, but hadn't expected to end up here, and hadn't brought it with her. She heard a flurry of steps down the stairs and Nepeta opened the door. Her face was absolutely shocked.

"Muelin!" she cried, or least that's what Meulin guessed by her facial expression. She quickly started signing. _"It's so good to see you! How come you decide to stop by?"_

_"I was just out for a walk, and was in the neighborhood." _She shrugged. "_So I decide to come by."_

Nepeta grinned and hugged Meulin hard. Nepeta motioned her inside; the house looked almost exactly the same as it did before.

"_I'm sorry but I kind of already invited someone over today. Is that alright?"_ Nepeta signed.

"_It's fine. Can I meet him or her?"_

_"Yeah." _Nepeta grinned. "_His name's Karkat."_

Meulin followed her sister up the stairs to her bedroom. The boy inside looked grumpy and was in the middle of yelling something. She couldn't quite tell what it was.

"Karkat, this is my older sister, Meulin."

She waved and grinned.

"She looks just like you." he remarked.

"_Is that a compliment?" _she signed to Nepeta teasingly. She blushed.

"_Please don't start." _Nepeta looked at her pleadingly.

"_Fine I won't." _She looked up at Karkat who was glancing back and forth between the two girls. "_I think you should tell him what's going on. He looks slightly confused."_

"Oh, sorry Karkitty. Meulin is deaf. I'll translate if you need to tell her anything."

"_Does he know that you live alone?"_ Meulin signed curiously.

"Of course not!" Nepeta was surprised so much, she spoke out loud. "_I wouldn't tell someone I don't know very well that I live alone!"_

Meulin shrugged. "_Never can be too safe."_

_"I didn't even tell Equius!"_

"What are you two talking about?"

"Nothing, it doesn't matter."

"_Can he go play or something while we talk?"_

"Alright. Karkat, Meulin and I have some catching up to do. Do you mind playing Sburb by yourself?"

"No why the f*** would I?" He responded irritably.

"_Well, that's certainly rude. He doesn't have to cuss does he?"_

"Well, no but that's just how he is." Karkat looked up curiously. "She doesn't like that you cuss."

"F*** you," He growled.

Meulin giggled and Nepeta smiled. "Come on. It's been too long!" Nepeta laughed. They went downstairs and sat next to each other on the couch and had a long discussion on what they had been doing for the last two weeks.

Meulin finally mentioned her boyfriend problems about halfway through the conversation, and Nepeta suggested that she move back in with her. She thought it was a good idea, but she would have to break it to Kurloz first. It wouldn't be nice to leave him without warning. Even if he was scaring her.

"_I'm sorry Nepeta, I have to leave. Maybe I'll see you again later this week?"_

_"Sure!" _Meulin hugged Nepeta goodbye and left the house feeling much better than before. Her younger sister always seemed to know how to fix things.

Meulin smiled all the way back to the shared apartment, waving at people she knew and strangers alike. The doorman was in a very good mood today, and tipped off his hat at her as she walked in. Maybe her happiness was rubbing off on others? She smiled wider at this thought.

She opened the door to find it dark in her apartment. She turned on the light and looming over her was Kurloz. He had an aura of darkness surrounding him and her smile slipped off her face, replaced with an 'o' of shock.

He was home early, and he looked furious.

**A/R: Heh just barely 1,000 words. *^* I shall succeed! I made short work of this chapter, stuff is getting serious. Real serious. Not sure if I got Meulin's personality right? Eh, I'm not going to worry about it too much. Next chapter will either be Karkat's or Kurloz's POV. Or maybe someone else entirely. Probably the last one, if I'm feeling particularly evil. :] Edit2: Do I have to do one of these for every chapter? Eh, I probably will anyways.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

**==Be Kurloz**

Sorry, Kurloz is a bit busy right now.

==**Be John**

John sat down in a desk chair at his computer. He was playing Sburb, and the only one online was the Cancer. He frowned and put his chin in his hand. He was so bored. It was too hard to find the other people in his group of four. He hadn't found anyone, and somehow the Cancer had managed to find six people besides him already. That was more than half if the Cancer was included. He wished he could just find one other person. Even if it was only one, he'd be happy.

He stared at the screen another minute before groaning and putting his face in his hands. He'd probably never find any others. He was wasting his time. Way too many people played this game.

After a couple of seconds like that, John straightened up with a determined look on his face. He stood his character up and walked him over to a map of the continent he was on. He'd been to almost every town, except for a few. He frowned, trying to decide where to go next. He wasn't going to give up just yet. He scrolled his mouse over a tiny island over to the side of the continent. In the description it said it had a volcano. He shrugged and decided to go, if only to see the volcano. He wondered if it actually erupted. Probably not, it was just a game after all. There wasn't really a town on the island, more like a small collection of homes. There were also some ruins in a lake on it.

John clicked the icon, and sat back as the game loaded the area. Instead of the normal loading screen of a single fluctuating spirograph, it was a bunch of different sideways ones on a stem. He smiled at all the bright colors.

When the loading bar finally completed, the island filled the screen. It wasn't very big at all. It seemed to be self sustaining, with a farm and everything. He didn't see any houses, unlike what the map showed. He wondered why the map would show it if it wasn't actually there. It probably wasn't important. He grinned as he saw the volcano. It was huge and looked like it might blow any second.

He quickly looked around to see if anyone from his group was there, but he didn't see anyone at all. He ran up the side of the volcano to see if he could see over the top. He was almost to the top when he was stopped short by a message flashing on his screen.

**gardenGnostic wants to pester you. Accept? Yes / No**

John was confused; he didn't know the person it belonged to. There wasn't anyone around, and that was the only way players could "pester" or "troll" one another if they didn't know each other's usernames. He still clicked yes though. The person had to have a reason to pester him.

GG: who are you?

EB: I was about to ask you the same thing! and how are you pestering me?

GG: I'm on the same island as you!

EB: but where? I don't see you…

GG: why are you here?

EB: I'm sorry if I bothered you, I'm trying to find the people from my objective.

GG: objective? what's that?

EB: you mean you don't know? I thought everyone got one.

GG: no… at least I didn't. what is it?

EB: it's the thing the game gives you, to find the other people in your group.

GG: oh yeah! that's right, I remember now.

GG: it said I had to find someone with a disc symbol, a squid symbol and a ghost slime symbol. at least I think that's what the last one is. now that I look at it, it could be anything.

EB: hey! I think you're in my group!

GG: really? ok, then I'm going to come out into the open where we can see each other!

EB: ok.

John turned his character in a circle and spotted movement down by the weird ruins. They were strange because of the frog on top of a temple looking part. He wondered what kind of ancient civilization would worship frogs.

He walked down from the volcano and up to the girl that stood on the shore. She had long black hair with bright green eyes. On her shirt was a model of an atom. She waved and smiled at him.

A light flashed at him on the left of his screen and he clicked it. One of the symbols was now filled with the blue colored atom.

EB: you really are in my group! that's so cool!

GG: I'm Jade, who're you?

EB: I'm John! It's nice to meet you, Jade.

GG: have you found anyone else?

EB: no, but I did find a group of trolls that's really nice.

GG: what's their symbol alphabet?

EB: um, the zodiac I think.

GG: cool! I can't wait to meet them!

EB: one of them is online right now, you want to meet him?

GG: yeah!

John minimized the log window and clicked Karkat's icon on the right of the sign. He clicked "log", and then "add to existing log." With that, Karkat was in their chat.

CG: WHAT THE F*** DO YOU WANT, JOHN.

EB: I found someone in my group!

CG: CONGRATULATIONS, F***A**.

EB: hey, be nice! I just met her.

GG: hi! I'm jade!

CG: THANKS SO MUCH. CAN I LEAVE NOW?

EB: aren't you going to tell her your name?

CG: F*** NO.

EB: well that's too bad. nepeta told me your name yesterday! It's karkat.

CG: F*** THIS S***. I'M LEAVING. F*** YOU, JOHN. F*** NEPETA TOO.

EB: hey, karkat, don't say that! she didn't mean to tell me, it just slipped out.

CG: BYE, HAVE FUN WITH YOUR F***ING LIVES.

**-carcinoGeneticist left the log—**

EB: I'm sorry jade, he's not normally this bad. well ok, he is, but you get used to it. the other trolls are better though.

GG: don't worry, I'm sure he'll get over it! but for now I don't think I'll talk to him. he seems very rude.

EB: I'm really sorry, I thought he'd be nicer.

GG: it's fine! Oh I'm sorry I gotta go. Bye!

EB: bye! :B

John waved at Jade, and she disappeared after waving back. John sighed, it was going to be a long day.

**A/R: Edit 2: I probably shouldn't be writing about this here, but…I got a really good idea for another fanfic! We'll see how it goes, and if it picks up steam I might write it on the side of this one or maybe after this is done. If not, then you won't hear about it again. **


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

**A/R: I probably should do one of those disclaimer thingys where I say I know nothing about how sign language works, except for a little bit (alphabet, a couple words) and yeah. **

**==Be Nepeta**

Nepeta raced back upstairs after Meulin left to find an even grumpier than normal Karkat muttering something about John.

"Karkitty? Are you ok?" She cautiously crept into the room.

"No! I thought you understood internet privacy!"

"What?" She cocked her head to one side, confused.

"You told John my f***ing name!"

"Oh my god! I'm so sorry! I was going to tell you about it, but I kinda forgot." Nepeta smiled apologetically.

"Why did you tell him!?"

"I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to. We were talking about something, and somehow you came up. I accidentally called you Karkat instead of Cancer or Mr. Grumpy Pants."

"I knew I couldn't f***ing trust you! I'm leaving." Karkat turned his back to her and ran out the door to the room.

"Karkitty! Please don't leave! It was an accident, I promise! Karkitty!"

She raced after him and stopped at the balcony. He had paused at the door. He looked up at her, face softening for a moment. But then he shook his head and left.

"Karkat…" She said softly. She sat down, staring at the door, hoping he would come back. That he would realize that he could still trust her. But it didn't re-open.

Nepeta began to softly weep right there. She would always be a terrible friend; she knew this for a fact. She should've just stuck with Equius, he understood her better than anyone else. Her crying grew in strength until she was full out sobbing. She should've never invited him over. She knew it would only end in tragedy. Everything she did ended up failing.

_Everything except shipping, _a small voice in the back of her head said. Yes, everything to do with fictional characters, she was the expert at those kind of things. This thought made her sob even harder, what could she ever accomplish with fictional characters? She was worthless. Everything that had happened in the past few years weighed her down. She was in some much pain, she wanted to kill herself.

Wait, where did that thought come from? She didn't really want to kill herself…did she? She sat up, sniffling and thinking. It wouldn't be that hard to do… no! She wouldn't do it. _Couldn't._ She still had to keep living for Equius, for Meulin. They depended on her.

She went back to her room, trying to avoid her depressing thoughts. She picked up her phone to text Equius, and her spirits lifted slowly. He always helped whenever she needed something. He really was her best friend. She smiled, sniffling a bit.

**== Attempt the ultimate mid-chapter character switch!**

I don't know… are you sure you want to do this? It can be pretty dangerous.

**== Yes, be Kurloz**

Kurloz is really angry right now. Maybe Meulin would be a better choice?

**== I don't care! Either one is fine.**

Meulin cowered back in fear.

_"Where have you been?" _He signed slowly, as if she wouldn't understand if he went fast.

_"I went for a walk." _It came out just as slow as her hands were shaking so much from fear.

_"Where?" _He glared at her.

_"Nowhere, really. just around."_

_"I don't think I believe you." _His face was cold and calculating. "_Where did you really go?" _He raised one hand slightly higher, while the other signed. She understood the threat.

_"Only to my old house! I didn't talk to Nepeta, I swear!"_Meulin lied_._ Technically though, she didn't talk with her. No words were spoken.

_"Yeah, right. I know you talked to her."_ He raised the hand back a bit, with a vicious look on his face.

_"Ok, yes I did. I'm sorry!" _

Kurloz brought his hand down across her face heavily. She winced at the sudden hot pain that flared on her cheek. He slapped her again, on the other cheek. It left an equally burning sensation.

_"Please don't do this." _she looked up at him pleadingly.

He scoffed and began hitting her vigorously all over. He hadn't done this before, only slapped her around. She had brought this upon herself, she knew. She shouldn't have left, or at least should've left a note. And she shouldn't have prolonged the wait and just told him the truth.

She deserved this, for abandoning her sister, for killing her mother, for driving away her father. It was all her fault. But she would not break down crying, that would only give Kurloz what he wanted..

He paused for a second, seeing as how she wasn't crying out, only moaning and groaning in pain. She took advantage of his hesitation, and backed away hurriedly from him.

_"I'm leaving tomorrow. I'm not going to live with you anymore. I won't take anymore of this bulls***. I'm breaking up with you."_

He stepped back in surprise. An expression of absolute anger took over his face and hit her again across the face.

_"No you will not. I order you not to."_

_"You have no power over me anymore. In fact I'm leaving right now." _Meulin stood up defiantly, despite her injuries. And she left, just like that.

She only looked back once, to see Kurloz's expression of fury and surprise.

_"I'll send someone over to get my things." _With that, she slammed the door and walked down the stairs and out of the building. Blood was dripping down her face, and bruises were already forming all over her body. The doorman tried to stop her, but she pushed him away. She was afraid if she stopped walking she would fall over and pass out.

Nearing her neighborhood, she saw a boy hunched over on the curb muttering to himself.

She nudged him and shakily sat next to him.

"Help," she mouthed to his surprised expression. He looked familiar, she'd seen him before somewhere… She wasn't sure where.

As spots invaded her vision she realized who he was, Nepeta's friend that she had over earlier that day. What his name again…? The darkness took over, and she was at peace, knowing that he would get her home safe.

When Meulin woke up, all she saw was an unbearably white ceiling with sickly green walls. She knew she must be in a hospital or something similar. What an awful color to paint the walls of a hospital.

She was wearing one of those weird hospital gowns without a back and was on an uncomfortable mattress. She looked to her left and saw a tube coming out of her arm and leading to a bag. _An IV,_ she thought sluggishly. She looked further to her left and saw another girl lying down in a different bed, fast asleep.

A doctor came in through a door to her right and she attempted to sit up, her brain still foggy. A nurse she hadn't noticed gently pushed her back down.

"Good you're awake. I'm going to ask you a few questions. What's your name?"

Meulin stared at him, and lifted her hands, signing it. He looked at her expectantly, and she tried to mime not being able to talk.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I think we have a sign language interpreter on hand."

_Oh god, please let it not be Kurloz,_ she thought pleadingly.

To her relief, it wasn't. It was a young boy with short black hair and brilliant blue eyes. He had thick black square-rimmed glasses. He had slightly bucked front teeth, and was smiling widely. He wore a blue nurse uniform with little green smiling ghosts all over it.

"_Hello! I'm John Egbert. The doctor's going to ask some questions and I'll interpret as needed. That okay?"_

_"Yes, it's fine."_

"What's your name?"

"_Meulin Leijon"_

John repeated what she said out loud.

"What is your current address?"

_"Well… technically it's in apartment building, but I just moved out."_

"_So what is it now?" _John asked

_"3333 Calle Road."_

"Do you know what happened to you?"

"_My boyfriend beat me up."_

The doctor nodded. "We'll have to inform the police and an investigation will be done if what you say is true. I have other patients to attend to right now. You have a visitor waiting outside if you wish to meet him. He's the one that brought you in."

"_Is my sister here?"_

"No, not that I know of. A nurse will inform you if you get any more visitors. I'll send him in on my way out."

"_Can you stay? I'm pretty sure he doesn't know sign language."_

_"Sure, I don't mind." _John smiled brightly at her as Karkat slowly walked in.

"Um, I'm sorry I don't remember your name." He looked meek, as if someone yelled at him he would crumble up.

"It's Meulin. Did you know her before?" John asked.

"No, just her sister. By the way your sister basically just put my f***ing identity out there on the internet for all to see."

"_I'm not surprised; she can be a little naive. I guess we both can, really."_

"What happened to you, anyways?"

"_My boyfriend is kind of… overprotective. He doesn't want me going on walks by myself. He beat me up all because I went back to my old house."_

Karkat winced. "I shouldn't have been so hard on Nepeta. Even though she did tell this guy online who I was, it's not really that big of a deal. I'll probably never meet the guy anyways."

"Wait! You're Karkat?!" John suddenly exclaimed.

"Yeah…" he said cautiously.

"I'm John!" He had perked up excitedly, grinning widely. Karkat just stared at the boy, incredulous.

**A/R: He he he. I love this ending. So things are slightly not-canon, sorry. John suddenly works at a hospital and he knows sign language apparently. I was going to make the interpreter be Kurloz, but that would just be awkward. Meulin blacked out for the entire night and woke up like mid-afternoon-ish. She's probably very hungry. Anyways, sorry for all the feels earlier. Edit2: Hmm, I seem to have a habit of making pain seem a lot worse than it should be… eh, oh well.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

**A/R: Ok sorry I'm not continuing from last chapter. Instead I'm going to track back to see how John got into this position. I haven't figured out yet what I'm going to make him do but it'll come to me. I feel like I write these too fast… Meh. Fast writing is a good thing, right?**

**==Be John**

John pulled away from his computer after Jade logged off. He didn't feel like searching for the other people just yet. He got up and walked downstairs to pop in a movie. About halfway through, his dad came in the door and he had to pause it to greet him and help him with the grocery bags in the car. They were full of Betty Crocker cake mixes, of course. John pulled a face behind his dad's back to show his disgust.

After all the mixes were unloaded John was finally allowed to go watch his movie again. As he sat down, Dad came up behind him.

"Oh John, I got you a job." Dad said, nonchalantly.

"A job?" He sat up and turned around. "What is it?"

"It's as a part time sign language interpreter at the hospital. They said that when you're not needed as an interpreter you can learn the basics of being a doctor or a nurse. I know you want to be a biologist of some sort, and this would be a good experience for that type of job."

John stared at him blankly. "I guess…" he trailed off uncertainly. Dad looked deflated when he said that, so John smiled and began talking excitedly about not being able to wait until he started, or some such nonsense. "So… when do I start?"

"Tomorrow at 8:00. I made sure you wouldn't have to get up too early your first day, like most nurses and doctors do."

"But—Tomorrow's Sunday!" John exclaimed.

"Yes, John. Hospital's are always open, they have to be."

"Whyyyyyyyyy?" he whined.

Dad just gave him a look. "I expect you to leave, and I expect you to be on time."

John groaned and turned his attention back to the movie. At least he didn't have homework. His dad had put him on an online course, so he never had any homework. Technically it was all homework, but he never had any extra that he had when he finished. John frowned at the TV screen, turning off the movie. He strangely didn't feel like watching it anymore.

He got up and went to go eat dinner before falling asleep early, thinking. He wondered what Karkat was doing right now. He wanted to go check the game to see if anyone was online, but fell asleep before he could attempt to heave himself out of the bed.

The next morning John woke up to his dad barging into his room at 7:00. John moaned, but got up. He really didn't feel like going to a job, on a Sunday no less. But he got his butt in gear and got ready. He got a quick shower, not bothering to do anything to do anything about his hair and hopped in the car with Dad. He was five minutes early, as any gentleman would be, and walked up to the desk. The receptionist looked up at him expectantly.

"Um, I'm John Egbert. I'm here to work as a sign language interpreter?" He said tentatively.

"Hmm." The receptionist mused. She opened a book and flipped some pages. "Ah yes, here you are. Please sit in the waiting room. A nurse will be along to see you in a minute. Oh and here's a badge." She passed him a clip-on badge with his name and what he was supposed to be doing.

He stuck it to his shirt and sat down on a hard chair. The waiting room held several other people in it, some with children. Several of them were bawling their eyes out, others just looked hopeless, lost, and shocked. John guessed this was what it was always like at a hospital. The entire area had an air of depression over it. He didn't really like it, though he was glad he would be helping to lift that air.

A young nurse came by to get him, and they introduced themselves to each other. She led him to a closet/changing room with several different types of nurse outfits in it.

"Pick out whichever one you want. Size isn't that big of a deal but if something's too small or too big just chose another one."

John looked over the different outfits and hastily pulled out a blue one covered in smiling green ghost slimes. It looked like it was made for him. It had a strange fit though. The nurse made him change in the closet and he repined the badge to his new shirt. He went back outside and the nurse led him all over the building, showing him the basic equipment and areas of the hospital.

As they walked past a reception area, the receptionist called out to them.

"Are you the new interpreter?" he asked, his voice was very deep.

"Yes."

"A patient needs you in the shock trauma wing."

John looked over to the nurse that was leading him and she started ahead, leading him to that wing.

When he entered the room he saw a girl that looked to be about college age lying on the bed. Her hair was long and tangled really bad. Her face was a mess of cuts and bruises and along her arms were even more bruises. There were bandages covering her everywhere, seemingly at random. He wondered what exactly had happened to this girl, she looked terribly.

The doctor started talking, and he interpreted for her, but she seemed to not be watching him. She could probably read the doctor's lips or something.

When she told him that her boyfriend beat her, he was shocked. What kind of person could do something like this? The doctor seemed calm; he probably dealt with these kinds of things all the time.

And then the doctor left, and a boy about his age came in. He wondered who it was, but it was an idle thought. However, when the boy had said mentioned Nepeta he suddenly straightened and grinned.

"Wait, you're Karkat?!" John asked excitedly.

"Yeah…" he said cautiously.

"I'm John!" Karkat stared at him, utterly shocked.

"You're…John? From Sburb?"

"Yes!" His grin stretched from ear to ear. He looked over the boy with new eyes. He looked just as grumpy as his character, with dark brown hair and brown eyes that looked almost black.

"Why me?" Karkat slid down against the wall, rubbing his temples.

John looked back up at Meulin.

_"You know him?"_ She signed quickly, even though it probably hurt to move her arms.

_"Yeah, we know each other in game. We've never met in real life. How do you know Nepeta?"_

_"She's my younger sister."_

_"So, we live in the same town? That's so weird. Karkat told me most of his group went to his school… Strange how that happened."_

_"What game?" _

_"It's called Sburb. It's pretty new, so no one knows what the point of it is, really."_

"Will you guys stop using f***ing sign language? It's like watching a f***ing circus, and it's only making my headache worse."

"I see you're a loud foul-mouth in real life as well." John grinned cheekily.

"F*** you too."

A nurse poked her head in the door. "Mr. Egbert? You're needed with another patient." John quickly grabbed a piece of paper and scribbled his number down on it.

"Tell Nepeta to text me. You can too if you want, Karkat." Karkat sneered at that and stood up. John noticed that he was slightly taller than the angry boy. And John was pretty short. He snorted and then followed the nurse out to wherever he was needed next.

**A/R: There. That explains how he was randomly a nurse. Now all I have to explain is how learned sign language. Maybe it could be one of the courses he took in his online classes? Sign language is considered a foreign language. Yeah that works. That's how he learned sign language. Nice pretty explanations wrapped up in a bow for you. Edit2: Apparently this wasn't edited before? Weird. **


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

**A/R: Wow nine chapters in. I should probably explain the title of the fic. It all started with the first time I started writing this in Word. I had put an A/N, or author note as you most likely know, at the top, because that's what you're supposed to do or whatever (later I changed it to author rant). So when I saved it, I hadn't yet come up with a title. I just let Word save it how it wanted to. It turned out to be 'A' because it doesn't like symbols. After writing the first few chapters, I began to think of the story as being called 'A.' And so, being lazy, that's what I told FFN it was. It really has absolutely nothing to do with the actual story. **

**==Be Nepeta**

Nepeta was just finishing lunch, a tuna sanwhich, as the home phone rang in the living room. She hastily gulped down the rest of her water and ran to answer it.

"Are you related to Meulin Leijon?" a male voice asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"I'm calling to inform you that she has been admitted into West General Hospital."

"What happened to her?!" Nepeta exclaimed.

"The doctor will explain it to you when you come in."

"Oh, um, thanks!" Nepeta said into the phone before slamming it down. She hurriedly grabbed her trench coat and beanie that she had lying on the back of the couch and walked down to a bus stop. There were some every so often, and it just so happened that one was coming in a couple of minutes. She sat down on the bench, glancing at the other people that were also waiting. She didn't see anyone she knew, so she sat in the corner, playing with her phone until the bus came. When it finally pulled up she sat down in a seat towards the front. At the next stop a girl came on and sat next to her. She was around her age with long slightly wavy brown hair. Her eyes were bright green covered up by thick glasses. She had a dark tan, Nepeta assumed she went outside a lot. She grinned over at Nepeta, who grinned back.

"Hi, I'm Jade!" She said. Her smile came quickly and easily, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Nepeta." It was a bit strange to be talking to a random person she'd never met before, and it wasn't common practice for her to do so. But Jade seemed harmless.

"I like your hat, it's cute."

"Thanks!" Nepeta smiled slightly in appreciation.

They lapsed into uncomfortable silence, each waiting for the other to say something.

"So where're you heading?"

Nepeta sat back and frowned slightly. "West Hospital."

"Me too! My grandpa got checked in there yesterday, I'm checking up on him to see if he's alright. He got shot, and I'm not really sure what happened."

"Really? I hope he gets better. My sister got sent there. I'm not sure why, the person that called me wouldn't say."

"I hope she gets better too!" Jade smiled back.

The two of them chatted the rest of the way to the hospital, and got off at the same stop, of course. Jade immediately started walking towards the separate entrance for the Emergency Room.

"I hope I can see you later!" Nepeta called after Jade, as she walked into the regular entrance for the hospital. The inside was very bright and white. Very… clean. It definitely smelled like a hospital, that's for sure.

She waved back as she headed to another part of the hospital.

"I'm looking for Meulin?" She told the receptionist. A boy over by the corner looked up. He was wearing blue nurse clothes with green ghosts on them. He reminded her of someone, but she couldn't put her finger on it.

"I know where she is, I'll lead her to the room."

"Thank you, Mr. Egbert." The receptionist sat back and allowed him to take her away.

"I'm John." He said, smiling down at her.

"I'm Nepeta." She grinned up at him. He was a head taller than her.

"I knew it! How does everyone keep showing up in the same town?"

"Wait… you're John from the game?"

"Yeah. All these coincidences are weirding me out."

Nepeta shrugged and smiled. "It's nice to meet everyone though."

"Yeah, I guess. Except Karkat, he's kinda pissy."

"Kinda?" Nepeta looked at him sideways.

"Ok, a lot. Here's your sister's room."

"How'd you know she was my sister?"

"One, you two look very similar; and two, she told me."

"She told you?"

"Yeah, I know sign language. That's why I work here."

"Cool!" Nepeta waved as she went in the room. She stopped dead at the sight of her sister, covered in scratches and bruises. She had a couple of bandages on the worse cuts, and she looked absolutely terrible.

_"Hey Nepeta." _She signed.

"What happened to you?" Nepeta asked out loud.

_"Well… Kurloz got angry because I came to visit you."_

_"Oh no, then this is my fault. I'm so sorry," _Nepeta signed. She looked like she was going to cry.

_"No, don't blame yourself. If anything, it's my fault. I should've broken up with him earlier."_

"Nepeta." a firm voice behind her spoke up. She jumped, startled. She turned around to see Karkat. Why was he, of all people, here?

"What are you doing here?"

"I was the one that found her." He motioned to Meulin. "Look, Nepeta… I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have said all that f***ing stupid stuff and I do trust you. I really do. I guess I was just overreacting." He looked down, blushing slightly. Nepeta smiled at his embarrassment

She stood and hugged him. "I forgive you." She felt him stiffen with shock and surprise, but then he relaxed. He couldn't really return the hug, since his arms were trapped beneath hers. She giggled as he tried to struggle them out of her grasp.

"Thanks."

Nepeta turned back to Meulin, standing close to Karkat. She could feel his heat and energy from the couple of inches between them. "_Did the doctors say when you would get out?"_

She shook her head and winced. "_You guys should go. I'll be fine."_

"Alright. Well, we'll see when you get out." Nepeta smiled brightly and walked out of the room with Karkat trailing after her, looking like a lost puppy. Or perhaps more like a lost kitten.

"Done?" John looked up from a chair. He looked breathless, as if he had run back to meet them. His face was as pale as a sheet and he looked horrified.

"You ok?" Nepeta asked.

"Yeah, I will be. Just give me a sec." He calmed down, and his breathing returned to normal. "Sorry about that. One of the patients in the ER just died while a nurse was leading me through it. It was terrible." He shuddered.

"Wait, the ER? Was he shot by a gun?"

"Yeah, how did you know?" John sat up, curiosity taking over.

"Oh no, poor Jade." Nepeta looked down, sadly.

"Jade?"

"Yeah, I met her on the way here. She said her grandpa was in the hospital, had been shot."

"Oh. Now that you mention it, I did see a girl in the waiting room crying while the doctors told her the news."

"Would I be allowed to go comfort her?" She looked up at John pleadingly.

"I mean, I don't know. I'm new here." He called over a nurse and she led them all back to the ER waiting room. Jade was still there.

"Are you Jade?" John asked. The girl looked up and nodded, still sobbing. "I'm John." He held out his hand and helped her stand up.

"Nepeta?" Jade surveyed the group. Then she went over and hugged Nepeta, still sobbing. Nepeta hushed her and patted her head. She looked up and shooed Karkat away. She signed with one hand to John, telling him to take Karkat away and tell him to go home.

John left with a loudly protesting Karkat behind him. John shushed him and he quieted down, almost sheepishly when he saw everyone glaring at him.

Nepeta stayed with Jade for a while after that, just comforting her. John returned after ushering Karkat out and helped her out with the now guardian-less girl.

"Where do you live?" Nepeta asked kindly.

"In the woods, it's pretty far from here."

"Do you want to stay at my house for a while?"

"Sure. Would your parents be fine with that, though?" Jade sniffled.

Nepeta flinched a bit at that but nodded anyways.

"Thanks." She smiled tearfully.

Nepeta waved goodbye to John as they entered the bus. Some of the other passengers showed concern for the puffy eyed girl, but most left them alone. Nepeta thought they realized this happened a lot because well… It _was _a hospital.

Nepeta comforted her all the way home and helped walk her back from the bustop.

"This is my house." Nepeta smiled slightly and led Jade in through the door.

"It's so empty…"

"I wanted to tell you… I know what you're going through." Nepeta sat down on a chair facing Jade.

"How…How could you? You have relatives, I have none! No one will be able to take care of me." Jade was still sobbing.

"I do have relatives, yes. But my mother, she had my sister out of wedlock. And a while back in my family tree, one of my great great grandmothers or something, had a child with a known rebel and heretic. He was a good man, but he was against the government, and was publicly executed. None of my extended family has spoken to us for years." Nepeta looked down at her hands.

"But you still have your parents…?" Jade trailed off as she saw the expression on Nepeta's face.

"My father… he left my mother after she gave birth to me. He didn't want to be burdened with two children. They could barely take care of one."

"And your mother?" Jade asked softly. Concern was etched on her face, even though she had only known Nepeta for a few hours, at most.

"She…she's dead. She died when my sister was driving the car, and so Meulin blames herself for our mother's death. But it wasn't her fault." Nepeta looked into Jade's eyes desperately "It was the man who decided to get drunk and drive that night. He's in jail now, but it's not enough. It will never be enough." Nepeta was crying again, although it was only a couple of silent tears.

Jade came over to her side and hugged her. "I had no idea. I'm so sorry."

"What about you?"

"My grandpa doesn't like to talk about where I came from. I'm not sure why… But I don't know any other relatives. I don't think I have any."

"You can stay with me and Meulin." She offered.

"Really? You'd do that?" Jade looked up with a hopeful expression.

"I know what it's like to live alone. Trust me, it's not fun." Nepeta laughed with false cheer as a cat walked over and rubbed itself on her leg.

"Oh, hello Cookie!" The cat meowed and Nepeta picked her up. "Jade, this is Cookie. She's the most sociable of my cats."

"How many cats do you have?" Jade shifted uncomfortably. Nepeta wondered if she didn't like cats.

"Five, but technically six since Meulin has one with her."

"What do you mean, with her?"

"Well, she was staying with her boyfriend and she took June with her. I'm not sure how we'll get her back… We will though."

"Oh." Jade looked down at her hands.

"Are you hungry?" Nepeta stood up from the chair to break the awkward moment.

"Uh…sure." Jade smiled slightly.

Nepeta prepared some deer that she had caught herself some time ago.

"What's that?" Jade asked warily.

"It's deer meat."

"Deer?" Jade asked incredulously.

Nepeta shrugged. "I like to hunt. Have been hunting ever since I was old enough to hold a gun."

Jade grinned. "I hunt too!"

The two started talking about their catches while they both helped to make the meal. Pretty soon, they were acting like old friends and Jade's mind was off of her grandfather's death.

"Which room do you want?" Nepeta asked.

"I don't care."

Nepeta led her to the guest bedroom. "Sorry it's so green; it's a tradition to paint at least one room in the house this color. I don't even know why."

"I like green! Not this exact shade, but green is my favorite color."

"Really? My favorite color's green too!"

"We have more in common than I first thought." Jade grinned and Nepeta left.

"Oh, and the bathroom is down the hall if you need to shower or something." Nepeta called back into the room.

"Thanks!" Jade yelled back.

**A/R: Gah I'm so sorry. I've been having writer's block. I wasn't feeling it, really. I'm sorry ;A; And I really did not realize that Jade and Nepeta had so much in common till I wrote this. Weird. Aaaaaaaanyways hope you enjoyed! I shall try to update more often (I will fail, I promise you…sorry)! Edit2: Again, lies…**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10 **

**==Be the spider person**

You are now the spider person.

The spider person just woke up, and is grinning voraciously. She/he is about to log onto the game to see if she/he can annoy some people. Or TROLL them, as she/he likes to call to it.

Ok, will you stop referring to the spider person as she/he? We all know that she's a girl. And her name's Vriska, thank you very much. As if we didn't already know that too.

Vriska logged into Sburb, clicking on her awesome character. Her character had a long gray jacket and a tight black shirt underneath with the Scorpio symbol in blue on it. She had on skinny jeans that were practically skin tight. Anything was possible in games. She laughed, and stared at the messed up eye that mirrored her own. She wondered if she should've changed it so that it was normal… Too late now.

She clicked to see who was online. That one baby wasn't on. She pursed her lips, looking through the contacts she had saved and those in the area around her. No one she knew too well. She decided to go looking for other characters. With her luck she would find one right away.

And, of course, she did. Some fish troll with the Aquarius symbol in dark purple on his shirt. What was even the point of the fish trolls? They were completely useless, and it didn't make sense that only a few people had it. Vriska looked him over. He wore hipster glasses and had striped pants with a striped scarf to match. To top it off he had a long flowing cape the same color as the symbol on his shirt. He also had random piece of his hair in the front dyed the same color. Vriska laughed her head off at the guy. He looked absolutely ridiculous, and probably even more so in real life.

**Are you sure you want to troll caligulasAquarium? Yes / No**

Really? caligulasAquarium? How uncreative. Her name was soooooooo much better. She clicked yes.

CA: wwhat do you wwant?

AG: it looks like you're in my group, fish8reath.

CA: wwhat?

AG: nice quirk. And I said that you're in my group. for the first o8jective?

CA: wwait, really?

AG: have you found anyone else, or are you too stupid for that?

CA: I havve found someone, actually.

AG: who? Oh wait, I mean wwho? :::;)

CA: wwhy should I tell you.

AG: I'm in your group, fishface. It's 8etter for all of us if you let the rest of us meet her/him. duh.

CA: wwait, the 'rest of us?' is there more?

AG: yeah, I've found more than half the group already. 8ecause I'm actually competent unlike soooooooome people.

CA: fin, I'll givve you her username. It's cuttlefishCuller.

CA: can you givve me the other ones noww?

AG: I don't know… let me think a8out it.

CA: wwhat?! I just told you the name of the person I found!

AG: yeah, you should've kept that to yourself as a 8argaining chip. Good luck ::::D

CA: wwait! Please just tell me one?

AG: alright.

AG: but only because you're 8egging.

AG: carcinoGeneticist. Go 8other him instead of me.

CA: …wwhatevver.

Vriska exited out of the chat and saw a light blinking on the left. She clicked it so it would stop blinking, and saw that the coordinating symbol to the one on his shirt was lit up. She clicked out of that and typed cuttlefishCuller into the chat finder. She clicked view.

She saw a girl with long curly black hair and pink goggles on her face. She wore a gold tiara and had on a long green and blue skirt with pink trim. She also had some gold necklaces and gold bracelets. She had the sea troll's trademark fins. Judging from the goggles, Vriska figured she spent most of her time underwater unlike that other fish troll.

The girl had the symbol for Pisces on her shirt in a dark pink color, like a fuchsia. Yeah, that was it.

Vriska clicked to message her.

**Are you sure you want to troll cuttlefishCuller? Yes / No**

Vriska clicked yes again. This message that popped every time was getting on her nerves. At least it didn't pop up with group chats. Well, it did, but it at least was a different message.

CC: oh ) (ello! You're t) (at girl from the ot) (er day rig) (t?

AG: I don't remem8er you.

CC: it's ok, I didn't say much! 38D

CC: so w) (y are you trolling me now?

AG: caligulasAquarium told me he found you. I didn't think he was as incompetent as this.

CC: t) (at's fin! ) (e's nice!

AG: do you know him irl?

CC: actually, yes! We used to be t) (e best of friends!

AG: Hmmmmmmmm…..

Vriska laughed. She would probably taunt him with that fact later.

CC: so, ) (ave you found anyone else? Glub?

AG: no.

CC: w) (y don't we look toget) (er?

AG: sure, why not.

CC: teleport to M-E!

AG: where would that 8e?

CC: in t) (e ocean. It's so muc) ( fun being a sea troll!

AG: we already found 8oth of the sea trolls. there's no point in going to the sea. Teleport to me. 8esides, land trolls can't even go underwater.

CC: OK!

Vriska rolled her eyes and minimized the chat. This girl was so stupid. It was like she was trying to be pathetic. She was waaaaaaaay too optimistic and happy. In a flash of light the girl was beside Vriska.

CC: ) (I!

The fish girl waved a hand at Vriska. She didn't wave back. Just kind of glared at her.

AG: …..hi.

Vriska paused for a second, taking a deep breath.

AG: alright. Let's go.

Vriska started to walk through the town. The fish-girl kept babbling about her pet fish, but she mainly ignored her as she ran her eyes swiftly through the crowd. Aha! There was someone who might know. The ones with yellow symbols were very intelligent and knowledgeable, as she had found out through experience.

**Are you sure you want to troll galaxysRevenger? Yes / No**

Vriska quickly selected yes.

GR: what do you want? I'm kind of busy at the moment.

AG: just wanted to know if you've seen any of the symbols in my group. we're the zodiac.

GR: hmm. I think I have. But why would I tell you about it?

AG: 8ecause. I will 8reak your arm if I have to.

GR: yeah right.

Vriska grinned viciously and walked over to the guy. Nonchalantly, she made her character broke his arm like it was a twig. Gold blood spilled all over the place, but none on her because, well it _was _agame.

GR: what the f***?!

AG: will you tell me now? ::::D

GR: no, crazy b****

AG: I could 8reak your other arm…?

GR: fine! I saw a girl with an Aries symbol on her shirt. happy now?

AG: which way did she go?

GR: that way!

With that, the comet guy x-ed out of the chat before she could say anything else. He gestured to the left with his uninjured arm and ran.

CC: W) (Y DID YOU DO T) (AT!?

AG: he wasn't giving me answers, so I convinced him to.

CC: t) (at is no way to convince a person!

AG: it worked didn't it?

Vriska walked in the direction the boy had pointed towards. It was a barren road that seemed to lead nowhere. Trees lined both sides and after a while she felt as though the boy had lied to her. She was getting frustrated.

CC: I TOLD you. you s) (ould've asked ) (im politely.

Vriska didn't respond. She was still searching for the girl he had supposedly seen. Argh! She should've made him lead them! Or at least tell them what symbol it was they were looking for.

-**apocalypseArisen joined the log- **

AA: excuse me, but y0u're in the way.

CC: w) (at?

AA: Y0u're in that way. If y0u want t0 get killed by a fallen st0ne, then by all means stay where y0u are. If n0t, I suggest y0u m0ve.

AG: suuuuuuuure. That's what _you_ want us to do.

AA: please m0ve, Vriska.

AG: w8, w8, w8. H8w d8 yo8 kn8w m8 n8me?

AA: just like the v0ices said. When y0u get nerv0us y0u type m0re 8's. th0ugh y0u d0n't seem t0 realize that y0u're d0ing it.

AG: w8, voices? Are you cr8zy?

AA: n0, just dead.

AG: o8viously.

Vriska rolled her eyes. This girl was pitiful. She was trying way to hard acting like she was dead. It wasn't even the least bit convincing. Although it was strange that this girl already knew her name.

AA: yes. n0w w0uld y0u please m0ve.

AG: ugh, fine.

Vriska moved her character to the side of the trail. The fish-girl had already done this, the goody-goody that she was.

Suddenly, a giant boulder dropped down from the sky. Vriska jumped back from the screen in surprise. She shook her head and sat back down. Where the hell had that rock come from?

Vriska looked around on the screen and saw a faint outline of a girl with white eyes. Her long skirt was full of ragged holes and her hair was long and unkempt. She had red lipstick and red eyeliner the same color as the red on her symbol. The shirt looked a bit like a vest of some sort. Her horns were shaped like giant ram's horns that curled over themselves. She really did look dead.

AA: I kn0w much because 0f the v0ices. I kn0w where y0u live, y0ur names, and the l0cati0ns 0f every0ne in this gr0up.

AG: why didn't you say so earlier? And why didn't you get all of us to meet up sooner?

AA: the v0ices are always right, and they t0ld me t0 wait.

AG: to hell with the voices! You should've found us as soon as possi8le! We could 8e on the second o8jective already!

AA: I ap0l0gize, but it was necessary.

AG: yeah right.

CC: don't be like t) (at, u) (…vriska?

AG: argh why did you have to tell her my name?

AA: it was the 0nly way y0u w0uld've believed I am wh0 I say I am.

AG: yeah? and who's that?

AA: Aradia.

Vriska stared at that name in shock and horror. A flashback hit her hard, and she was totally unprepared for it.

_A mini Vriska laughed at Aradia. She probably thought she was better than her. She thought she could steal from and terrorize the almighty pirate?_

_ The two of them, Aradia and Vriska, were role-playing. Aradia had stolen some treasure from her, and Vriska got really mad. She'd also sent some ghosts after her. Although they weren't actual ghosts, Vriska didn't like it because it made her points decrease._

_The next day she whispered to the boy that she knew Aradia liked, telling him that if he stole it back from her, she would tell Aradia that he liked her back. He had agreed, but no one knew how it would really end up. Aradia was killed, by the supposed boy of her dreams. _

Vriska, try as she might, could never remember the boy's name. She couldn't really recall what had happened the rest of that day, either. It was a blur of police officers asking questions, her mother asking her questions, and just more and more questions.

AG: how…? What…?

AA: it's 0k. I f0rgive y0u. n0thing matters when y0u're dead.

AG: of _course _not

CC: do you two know each ot) (er or somet) (ing?

AG: used to. In elementary school we were in the s8me grade. And I sort of, might've inadvertently caused her death.

CC: th) (at's terrible!

AG: we don't have the time to talk about it. why are you here? How are you still alive? And how did you get the game?  
AA: I've been a gh0st f0r all this time. I am n0t still alive, even if it l00ks like I am. I ended up in this game 0n accident. It happened while they were pr0gramming it. I was in the pr0ximity, and I g0t sucked int0 the circuits.

AG: how is that even possible?

CC: you poor t) (ing! W) (at did you do?

AA: n0thing. I d0n't care ab0ut getting 0ut. I believe if I tried, it w0uld get me n0where. Plus, why w0uld I want t0? I can actually affect things in this game, and pe0ple can see me.

AG: congratulations, 8ut it would 8e nice if you, I don't know…helped us find more people?

AA: I may be able t0 help y0u find 0ne pers0n, but after that I cann0t help y0u.

AG: whatever, just lead the way.

Vriska followed after Aradia as she floated above the ground.

AG: who are we meeting now?

AA: d0 y0u want t0 kn0w her real life name, 0r her username?

AG: 8oth.

AA: grimAuxiliatrix is her username, Kanaya is her real name.

AG: hmm, don't know her.

AA: y0u will s00n.

**A/R: I'm not good at being Vriska… I should search on youtube for a Vriska playlist! Yeah! 'Cause right now I'm making her sound too weak and I don't want that. Suggestions are welcome. ^u^ Edit2: I still need to do that… By this point I don't think I ever will. Oh well. **


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

**==Be the galaxy guy**

You _really_ want to be the galaxy guy?

==**No, be someone else**

Fine by me. Who do you want to be?

**==Hmm… how about Nepeta?**

Nepeta woke up the next morning to her alarm. She was startled; she wasn't expecting to be woken up. The weekend had gone by so fast, it seemed like. She quickly prepared for the day and checked on Jade.

She had told her earlier that she was homeschooled, but was willing to be put into school. She just wasn't going until Meulin got back from the hospital because they were both minors and couldn't fill out the paperwork. Nepeta had suggested she could do it, but Jade refused.

She was still sleeping quietly, Nepeta smiled softly at her. She left a note saying she was going to school and quickly hopped into Equius's car before he started honking the horn.

"Equius! Guess what?"

"What?"

"A girl I met at the hospital is staying with me and Meulin! Isn't it great?"

"…I do not approve."

"Aw, why not?" Nepeta made a face at Equius.

"Because, you barely know her. She could be dangerous."

"She doesn't have anyone else to stay with! She's staying at my house, I don't care what you say." Nepeta hmphed and sat back in her chair, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Nepeta, as your friend I cannot allow this."

Nepeta didn't say anything, only looked grumpy. Equius was getting very nervous since she wasn't responding.

"Nepeta…"

"She's staying! You can come over to see what she's like though."

"I guess that would be alright." Nepeta smiled brightly at Equius and handed him a fresh towel from the side pocket in the door. He always kept them there since he was driving and couldn't be looking everywhere when he needed one. Besides Nepeta was almost always with him so whenever she saw he needed one, she would give him them.

"Come over after school sometime, you can talk to her as much as you want."

"Thank you."

They got to the school, got off and headed to their classes. Nepeta pulled out her sketch book yet again. She had to put in some new ships she discovered over the weekend, and sink the one between Meulin and Kurloz. Maybe if they were trolls it would work in the black quadrant? But then again, the black quadrant was more complex than just hate. There was platonic hate, just like there's platonic love. The platonic hate was not quite like platonic love though…It was very different and strange and…

Quadrant talk was confusing, and she preferred to think about it when she had more free time to figure it out. Maybe someday she would understand in its entirety.

Anyways, one of the ships she wanted to add was between the girl that liked spiders and the guy that had the Taurus symbol. She decided to put them in as both black and red. She wasn't quite sure how it was going to turn out, but it could go either way.

"What're you drawing?" Karkat asked.

"A curse free sentence? That's amazing Karkat!"

He glowered at her. "F*** you."

"Progress is progress." She shrugged. "I'm drawing some ships between the new trolls we met."

"Really? Can I see them?"

"Two in a row!" Nepeta giggled at the glare he sent her way. She handed over the sketchbook.

"Wow these are actually pretty good."

"Thanks, I try."

"There's so f***ing many." He flipped through the pad.

"Yeah, I draw a lot in my free time."

"Is this all you do?"

"No, I like to rp with my online friends. And I watch a lot of anime, play mmorpg's, rpg's, among other games."

Karkat just stared at her with a blank face, and she laughed.

"Sorry, geek talk. Role playing is rp, I already told you what anime is, a mmorpg is a massively multiplayer online role playing game, and rpg is a role playing game."

Karkat still stared blankly. Nepeta giggled, but before she could explain further, the teacher began the class.

Yet again, Nepeta doodled while taking notes here and there. They were just reviewing the last level of math they had. They wouldn't get to the hard stuff in quite some time.

Sometime in the middle of class, Karkat passed her a note.

_What's he talking about?_

Nepeta stared at the note and looked over at Karakt, surprised.

_Stuff we learned last year, why? _She quickly scribbled down.

She passed it back to him discreetly. He read it and crumpled it up, shaking his head in frustration. Nepeta watched him worriedly. She created a new note.

_What's wrong?_

He shook his head again, not even taking the note.

Nepeta glanced at him throughout the class; he seemed to be trying to pay close attention, with a confused look on his face.

"Ok, you have about five minutes to talk amongst yourselves." The teacher said. It seemed to be becoming a pattern.

Nepeta leapt at the chance to talk to Karkat.

"Um, Karkitty?"

He had bent over, laying his head on his arms on top of the desk. His hair spiked up awkwardly, and it looked really soft. She really wanted to touch it, but this wasn't the time or place to be doing something like that.

"Could you please tell me what's wrong?"

He grunted again, but then turned his head to the side so she could see his face.

"I'm not very good at math, ok?"

Nepeta watched his expression carefully. "…Do you want help?" she said slowly.

He glanced away and took a deep breath.

"I could help you. I'm not the best at math, but I get decent grades."

"O-ok. I'll try. But I've had help before, from the top student in our f***ing class. I doubt you'll be much help."

"Who's that?"

"Sollux."

"Really?"

"Yeah, our class is so messed up that's it's not that hard to be on the f***ing top."

"I guess so, but I think I'm in the sixties or something close to that."

"You're a sophomore right? Out of 300 or whatever that's pretty f***ing good."

"Do you know what you're ranked?"

"No, and I don't want to know."

"Oh…Text me later, ok?" Nepeta smiled. The bell rang then, and they got up and walked to their next class through the crowded hallways.

Nepeta headed to her least favorite class, English. She absolutely hated reading, unless it was manga, of course. But that hardly counted as it was more pictures than words. She had to force herself to read, and had to study the most in this class.

The teacher gave them the first book they were to do, 1984. Nepeta made a face. Why they had to read classics, she never knew. Most of the words in them she could never figure out and the plots were always so confusing.

She stared at the words while everyone else read what they were assigned.

Forever later, the bell rang and Nepeta leapt up. Art was next! She grinned widely, it was her favorite class. This art class was focused specifically on painting. Nepeta absolutely loved to paint. It was her favorite material to work with, and she was exceptionally good at it.

The girl she had met on Friday, Terezi was there and Nepeta waved at her. She didn't wave back. She just kinda sniffed the air in her direction.

"Nepeta?"

"Yeah."

"I didn't realize you were in my class! Come sit with me!" Terezi's voice was very raspy, and kind of lilting. Nepeta wasn't sure if it was cute or annoying. "You smell like grass…you shouldn't wear so much green."

"I don't think I'm wearing any green." Nepeta looked down at her plain black short sleeve t-shirt and jeans.

"Then why do you smell like grass?"

"I don't know…?"

"Oh, sorry. I have synesthesia. Confusion of the senses and all that. I can smell and taste colors."

"That's awesome!"

Terezi laughed. "I know."

"Alright class, today we are going to be sketching a basic outline for a project. You're going to pick a partner and paint them however you want. Any materials, any paints."

The class burst into excited whispers.

"You want to be my partner?" Terezi asked.

"Sure!" Nepeta replied happily. It would be fun to do her, Terezi was very unique.

The rest of the class the two discussed what materials would be best to use. Nepeta decided that she wanted to draw Terezi from behind, painting something in her style on an easel. It would be hard to capture another artist's style, especially on a smaller scale, but it would just be the beginning of the painting. She wanted to go over to Terezi's house to get some examples of her paintings, to see if she could find one she liked.

Terezi wanted to paint her abstractly, interestingly enough. Abstract was apparently her favorite way of painting and drawing. She really liked colors and putting them on the canvas in a way that smelled good to her.

Nepeta walked with Terezi to lunch and sat at the same table as yesterday.

"I have to go get my lunch." Nepeta told Terezi, and walked back to her locker without her. Unlike last week, when she had bought lunch, she decided instead to pack today. On her way there she ran into a girl that looked lost.

"Hello. I recently transferred here. Where do I go?" A girl with thick glasses, the same type as Jade's walked up to her. One of the lenses in her glasses was blacked out. She had long wavy blonde hair down to her waist and skinny jeans. She wore a simple blue-gray shirt with a light gray jacket over top.

"Where's your schedule?" The girl held it up. "You have this lunch. I'll show you where the cafeteria is if you want. I just need to get my lunch first!"

The girl shrugged and followed Nepeta.

"What's your name?"

"Vriska Serket."

"I'm Nepeta Leijon."

They walked into the cafeteria together; it was filled to the brim with people sitting everywhere. A couple were sitting outside despite the cold weather.

"Do you have a lunch?"

"No, I'm not hungry."

"Do you want to sit with me and my friends?"

"We'll see."

**A/R: Edit2: Nepeta's opinions on different subjects in no way resembles my own. Just because I portrayed her this way does not mean what she's good at and hates are exactly the same as me. You have been warned.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

**A/R: Just so you know, this chapter fits into the timeline perfectly well! There shouldn't be any discrepancies. **

**==Be the sea troll **

Which one? There are two of them, you know.

=**=You chose**

Me? I'm honored! Eridan it is.

==**Wait, wait! I change my mind!**

Too late.

Eridan exited the chat with the girl that liked eights. She was very frustrating. He felt like he hated her. You might even say they were enemies. No, that would be going a bit too far. But she was pretty annoying. And pretty.

Eridan shook his head. She probably looked nothing look her character in real life. For all he knew, she could be a guy. Besides, he hated her too much to think about something silly like her looks.

Eridan typed in the username she had given him in the chat seeker. He clicked chat.

**Are you sure you want to troll carcinoGeneticist? Yes / No**

That message really was getting annoying. He wished the game wouldn't ask it every single time he wanted to chat with someone.

CA: I'vve been told I'm in your group?

CG: WHO THE F*** ARE YOU?

CA: Wwell, my symbol is Aquarius

CG: REALLY? HOW THE F*** DID YOU FIND I WAS IN YOUR F***ING GROUP?

CA: a girl wwith the Scorpio symbol.

CG: THE ONE THAT LIKED F***ING 8'S?

CA: wwell she did used a lot of 8's in her conversation, if that's wwhat you mean.

CG: I F***ING HATE HER. SHE'S SUCH A B****.

Eridan got mad at that, seething at the man behind the username. How dare he call her a b****. He had no right!

CA: yeah wwell, f*** you.

CG: JUST TELEPORT TO ME YOU INCOMPETENT PIECE OF S***.

Eridan grimaced, but complied. The guy was really short and angry, that was the first few things he noticed.

CG: WHAT THE F***. WHY DO YOU HAVE A DUMB CAPE?

CA: because I wwanted one. Is that alright wwith you?

CG: UGH, YOU REALLY ARE IN MY F***ING GROUP.

He noticed the flashing light in the corner. He clicked it open and saw that the Cancer symbol was now a slightly lighter gray than the background.

CA: wwhat is your color?

CG: OBVIOUSLY GRAY.

CA: wwell, it probably isn't seein' as how most other trolls have a specific set of colors.

CG: YEAH, WELL F*** YOU.

CA: so, wwhere are the others?

CG: NOT ONLINE, THE BASTARDS.

CA: wwell, wwe could search for the final twwo people together.

CG: OH F*** SOMEONE ELSE IS MESSAGING ME.

Eridan closed out of the chat. He waited patiently for another response from him, but he got none. Eridan sighed and logged out of the game. He bet that the other guy was just making up the other guy messaging him just to stop talking to Eridan. A lot of people did something like that when it came to him. They always gave some excuse as to why they didn't have time to talk. He could never tell truth from lie, so he assumed they were all lies. They probably were. They were all rejecting him.

Eridan had been kicked out of more schools than he could count, most of them private and boarding schools. He was royalty after all. He wouldn't stand for a public school. And if he couldn't be treated well, he would leave. Or say something that made a kid angry. Or hurt the people that insulted him. And it was always people, never just one person.

It was always their fault. They should've treated him better than that. He was obviously better than them.

When his only friend, Fef, had moved to the US, he thought he couldn't take it. He had thought they had something special, but she had to move. He still didn't understand why. It was heartbreaking. He had asked to be her boyfriend but she had said no. She made up an excuse about long-distance relationships never working. If they were right for each other, it would work! It would.

She had moved to the US about the same time a daughter of a lord, the school bully, moved there as well. He had taken a large brunt of insults from her, and he still held a grudge. He was thankful she had left though. He didn't really enjoy her company.

They had moved very recently, just a few weeks ago actually. He bet they had already been in the US for several days now. Fef still hadn't bothered to contact him outside of the game. He was starting to believe she had never really cared about him at all.

He was trying to convince his dad to move to the US too, that way they'd at least be in the same country. And there wouldn't be an entire ocean in between them. Fef hadn't told him the name of the town she had moved to, to his dismay. It was probably a small town so she wouldn't be bothered by the press. She would keep a low profile. Although that was kind of hard for a princess. It would be hard for him too, but he was only the son of a duke. He wasn't as important as her, but he was still high up. The least everyone could do was respect him.

Eridan sighed and closed the laptop. He got up from his large king-sized bed and went to go have dinner with his father.

During dinner, he was perfect. He didn't do or say anything that might make his dad upset.

"Eridan, we are not moving to the US. We have things we need to attend to here. Plus your brother is attending college." His dad sighed over dessert.

"Why can't he stay here?" He looked over at Cronus. As expected, his brother looked excited at the prospect.

"I wouldn't mind that." He said with a winning smile.

"No, and that's final." Dad stood up and stalked out the door.

The two brothers glanced at each other, flashing worried looks at each other. They rushed to finish their dinner and then headed back to their rooms. Eridan picked up his rare gun that had been passed down in his family for generations. Ok, it really wasn't, but it was pretty bada**.

He lifted it and walked down a couple halls to the soundproofed shooting range. He practiced shooting until his arm got tired, and then he rested and got some water.

He sat, thinking of how to convince his dad to let him go to America.

He jumped up, suddenly struck with a new idea. What if...? He could do this. He would make it to America, find Fef and she could finally date him. If she was just using an excuse earlier, then well, he would cross that bridge when he came to it. He would set it into action as soon as possible.

**A/R: Edit2: Ah, this is a cliffhanger that'll come back to bite me later… **


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

**A/R: I have a headcanon that Vriska has a British accent as does Eridan, but Feferi doesn't. I'm not sure how that would work in this story…**

**==Be 2ollux**

Error: Not a valid command

**==Fine be Sollux.**

Sollux sat down at the table. Karkat was fighting with Gamzee about something, Terezi and some girl were discussing something and grinning evilly, and that girl Nepeta just looked lost. He shook his head and started to eat.

"Sollux, which is better: homemade or s***ty cafeteria food?"

"That is motherf***ing bias, bro. Homemade or miraculous cafeteria food, Solbro?"

"The cafeteria food ith dithguthting, but I eat it becauthe I don't have time to make lunch in the morning. That'th about all there ith to it."

"See! He agreed with me, not you, a**hat."

Gamzee just smiled placidly. "What about you, sister?" He looked at Terezi.

"She's not even listening to your conversation. Most likely it's something stupid that she won't care about." The new girl said, flipping her hair.

"Cool it, Vriska. Stupid or not, I like hearing my friend's opinions. Now, what did you want to know?"

"They want to know if you like cafeteria food or packed luncheth better."

"Interesting question… I would have to say that, while the cafeteria is convenient, its food tastes terrible. I have to go with packed lunch." Terezi cackled and held up a noose she had in her pocket. "Can I hang Gamzee's lunch?"

"F*** no!" Karkat exclaimed. "Put that f***ing thing away!"

Terezi sighed despondently and stuck it back in her pocket.

Sollux shrugged and continued eating his lunch, not really paying any attention to the conversation around him.

"I don't think I was ever introduced to you…?" The new girl spoke up.

"That'th becauthe you weren't."

"Oh, I wathn't? I didn't realithe." She mocked. "I'm Vriska."

"Thollux."

"Thollux?" Vriska grinned.

He rolled his two colored eyes at her and went back to eating. "Like I haven't heard that one before," he muttered under his breath.

Vriska started to say something but Terezi hushed her. She knew how he got when he was angry.

He watched Vriska at of the corner of his eye. He realized she was doing the same to him and they both glanced away. He knew it. He knew she looked familiar. He had lived in England once a long time ago. After the incident in his elementary school he had moved here so reporters wouldn't shove microphones in his face every time he stepped out of his house. Asking him what had happened. Why he did it. It was all the same, and he still couldn't remember, really. He knew innately that Vriska had done something. She had played a part somehow, but he wasn't quite sure what she did.

He had tried to forget about it, but it was impossible. He couldn't forget killing the love of his life, or what seemed like it at the time. He had forgotten what she looked like over the years, but he remembered her being beautiful. And that she was kind, but had a strange obsession with the dead. Sort of ironic that the girl obsessed with death would get killed so soon in life.

He sighed, setting down his sandwich. He didn't feel hungry anymore. He got up, threw his stuff in the trash and left lunch early. He walked into the media center, the only place you could really go during lunch. He sat down at a computer and plugged in his flash drive. Efficiently, he hacked into the school's firewall and went on to a site that was blocked because of the type of games on it. They were too violent for the idiots that ran the school.

Someone cleared their throat behind him and he slowly turned around. He was beyond caring if it was a media specialist or librarian or whatever the hell that's called in a school. It wasn't, though. It was Vriska.

"What?" Sollux asked, bored already.

"What are you doing?"

"What doeth it look like?" He turned back to his game and continued playing.

"Hmm, I haven't figured out a way past the firewall."

"It'th pretty thimple."

"Yeah, for a nerd like you." She snorted. "Not so much for me. I'm better at physical violence anyways."

He raised his eyebrows at her. "I didn't think you were the type for violence," he said sarcastically.

She chuckled.

"Look, I know KK thent you here to apologithe—"

"Yes, he did. But I'm not going to. It's not my style."

"Then why are you thill here?" He said, slightly annoyed.

"I'll make it up to you instead. But before I do, I'll probably make fun of you more." She smiled wistfully and stood up. "That's how I apologize, a**hole."

"That'th not an apology. Apologieth are more along the line of 'I'm thorry' or 'will you forgive me?'" he stated.

"I told you I wouldn't." She narrowed her eyes, and left.

Sollux frowned, and logged off. Lunch was almost over. He'd better wrap it up before the media person came by.

He glanced at his schedule. Next was tech ed. He made a face, he hated tech ed. It was so boring. He could probably teach the class. Mostly he just slept in the class, and still got an A. He smirked slightly and headed off.

==**Be Vriska**

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Slow down. We don't need a mid-chapter switch again, do we?

**==Sollux is boring, be Vriska**

Sollux is not boring! But, I guess being Vriska is all right with me.

Vriska finished up her third period class of math and was heading towards her fourth period. It wasn't all that hard to find. She had just looked up a map of the school and found the locker rooms. They had a map in every room, and she found it without the help of a teacher or student this time. She had signed up for weight training, a class that was technically guys only. She had gone in and demonstrated her weight lifting ability for them to judge and they let her in. It had helped when she told them who she was.

All the teachers had been informed not to give her any special treatment, but she could tell already some of them would kiss up to her a little. She smirked and walked into the girl's locker room. The teacher there told her that attendance was taken in the boy's locker room.

She felt very awkward going in to the boy's locker room, being the only girl. But she didn't show it. She was proud of the fact that she was the only girl strong enough to take this class. She glanced around, her nose in the air. She wrinkled her nose, it stank in here. It was like all the fires of hell had comes into one place with every stinky sweat prone guy in this locker room. It was clean enough, but nothing could overpower that smell.

"Umm, I don't really want to bother you, but I shouldn't be in this, uh, class." A boy was talking with the teacher. He was kind of short and had a mohawk. He was a Hispanic, judging from his skin tone and hair color. He looked like a freshman.

Vriska stood to the side, eavesdropping on their conversation.

"Well, this was the only class that was open. I'm sorry, but you're going to have to take it." The poor boy looked downcast at the news.

Vriska laughed loudly. "Nice one. I bet you're really weak, huh?" She poked him and he stumbled back. She smirked and nodded.

"Uh, could you, uh, stop please?"

"Aw, you said the magic word! That means I _have _to back off, right?" She said condescendingly.

He nodded shakily, his eyes wide in fear.

"Wrong." She said, laughing.

"Miss Serket, please have a seat. We're taking attendance. You too Mr. Nitram."

Why did some teachers always refer to students by their last name? It was weird. And it reminded her of all the things that happened in England that drove away from that place. She shook her head and sat down on a bench.

She was still disgusted to be in the boy's locker room. She couldn't wait to get out of there.

"Vriska Serket?"

"Here." She said. She couldn't wait to get out of that stinking place. And she would have to come here every morning. Great.

Finally role finished and she could leave the room and go to the girl's side of the locker rooms. She got a uniform from the teacher and quickly changed. The shirt was a bit too long and loose, so she tied it around her hips with an extra hair tie. She put her hair up in a quick, messy ponytail and adjusted her glasses. She glanced in the mirror. Perfect.

They went to the weight room and the teacher, Mr. Geiger, pulled her aside.

"Look, this class isn't easy. Are you sure you can do this?"

"Of course! I've done it before, back in England."

"Alright… but I'm pairing you up with Tavros."

He pushed forward the small boy. She frowned.

"But—"

"I know, you can lift almost as much as any guy here, but I doubt you'll be able to hold up for an hour. You're with him, whether you like it or not."

Vriska stalked over to the bench press. Tavros followed behind her uncertainly.

"Um, what do you want me, to uh, do?"

"Spot for me."

"Uh, what?"

"It _means _you have to stand behind here" she motioned behind her. "and hold up the bar in between where I'm holding it. It's in case I put too much weight on and can't hold it."

"Oh…" Tavros shifted nervously.

Vriska worried that he wouldn't be able to hold it if she couldn't, but hopefully it wouldn't come to that.

She picked up weights from a stack, making sure both sides were even before laying down on her back. She grunted as she lifted the bar off the racks, they were heavy, but she had lifted more before. After about ten minutes she stopped and set the bar back on the rack.

"Alright, now we switch."

Tavros nodded and she got up and stood behind as he lay down. He looked up at her face and smiled shyly.

She motioned that he continue.

"Um, I don't think I can lift this much." He eyed the amount she had lifted.

"Just try. Remember, I'm here if you need help or whatever."

She attempted to smile reassuringly but he wasn't looking at her anymore. He grabbed the bar and so did she. He tried with all his might to lift it, but he couldn't even budge it.

"Let's start with a smaller weight then." She took off the weights and put on the smallest weight possible. "This is the lightest weight possible. Well besides the bar itself."

Vriska was confident he would be able to lift the weight easily, and so she stepped back. He took up the bar, and held it over his chest. His arms were shaking really badly, and she stepped forward, but his arms gave out. She watched, petrified, as the bar fell on his ribs. He'd been holding it all wrong, and she knew it. She heard a loud snap and everyone stopped what they were doing as they heard a loud cry of pain.

**A/R: I've been in a weight room before and even the bar for bench press is frickin' heavy. I couldn't even lift it off the hook things. I'm such a weakling… Anyways, I'm not sure how badly it would hurt if it got dropped on you, but I'm guessing it's enough to break a few bones, especially with a weight on each end like Vriska had it. Poor Tav. I'm not in weight training (obviously) so I don't know how the class works. That's a disclaimer by the way. Edit2: Apparently I didn't decide to do an edit note in my main copy…Weird. **


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

**==Be Tavros**

Tavros blacked out after screaming in pain. The pain had come in intense waves and he could see the blood gushing out of him as spots formed in his vision. It scared him, and he wanted it to stop, but it wouldn't. Then, he blacked out and felt nothing more.

When he came to, he still felt nothing. He was in a hospital. Which one, he wasn't sure. A nurse loomed over his face.

"He's coming to!" She shouted. Her shrill voice pierced into his skull and gave him a pounding headache. The blinding lights and white of the walls didn't help either.

"Mr.…Nitram is it?" A doctor came up to him, looking down at a clipboard. "How are you feeling?"

"I don't feel anything…"

"What do you mean? Describe it."

"Like, uh, there's no pain. But, uh, it feels weird, like, um, numb."

The doctor wrote something on a clipboard. "Can you feel this?" He moved Tavros's toe.

"Uh, no." Tavros looked worriedly at his foot. He tried to move it, but it wouldn't budge. He concentrated on that toe, but still it wouldn't move. "Why isn't it, uh moving?"

"I think you've become paralyzed. I'll have to do a full examination to see how bad it is. Also you've broken two ribs."

Tavros stared at the man in shock. "How…?" He trailed off as the memories of pain flooded back into him. Vriska was supposed to catch the bar, what had happened to her?

"I'm sorry," the doctor said, shaking his head. "I'll be back to do that examination later." He left.

"Um, do I have any visitors?" Tavros asked a kind looking nurse.

"Yes, dear, one. Do you want me to send him in for you?"

"Uh, yes please."

It would probably be his older brother, Rufioh. Rufioh was the coolest older brother ever. He always knew what to do. He would know how to fix this.

He walked in casually and sat down next to Tavros.

"Hey, Tav. What've the doctors told you?"

"Um, they told me I was, uh, paralyzed."

"Yeah, they told me that was a possibility, but they wouldn't be sure until you woke up. The school had you transferred out of that class and the girl who was supposed to be helping you has been suspended."

"Suspended?" Tavros was so shocked that he forgot to stutter. "I thought it would be, uh, much worse."

Rufioh shrugged. "That's the way it is, I guess."

"Uh, what should we, uh, do?"

"There's nothing we can do, really." Rufioh shook his head sadly. "We just have to leave it in the doctor's hands." He checked his watch. "Look sport, I love talking to you, but I have to go."

Tavros nodded and smiled for his brother's benefit. Rufioh ruffled his hair and left. As soon as Rufioh left his line of vision Tavros frowned and stared at his bed sheets. He clenched his hands in the thin blankets. He didn't want to be helpless. He didn't want to not walk ever again. He didn't want people to make fun of his stutter.

He wanted self-confidence.

==**Be Vriska**

Ok, look I know you want to see her response to this, but we're doing too many mid-chapter switches.

**==Be Vriska, please?**

Ok, maybe if it was someone else I would make an exception.

**==Be…the spider obsessed girl?**

That's the same person!

==**How about the one that likes 8's?**

Argh, fine. Be who you want to be.

Vriska sat in the principal's office, wracked with guilt. She didn't show it. Instead she smiled viciously at the man behind the desk. He probably thought she did it on purpose anyways, so why not take the blame? People would stay away from her and think her to be more of a bada**. She liked it when people feared her.

Then again, something like this might cause others to dredge up her violent past... no. She wouldn't think about it. She wasn't like that anymore.

Or at least, she hoped she wasn't. She internally sighed, putting aside those thoughts for later. She focused her attention back on the principal.

"Your mother will be coming in momentarily."

She blinked, surprised. He would not like her mother… Too late to warn him, she guessed. Besides, her mother couldn't make things much worse.

"Hello, darling. What did you do now?" Her mother walked in primly. She was wearing a neat blue dress and white pantyhose. She was always dressed fancily, to show her status or something.

"Well, we aren't quite sure what happened. We were hoping to speak with Vriska and you about what happened."

"And?" She raised an eyebrow.

The man nodded at Vriska to begin speaking.

"I was lifting weights, we're partners in weight lifting, and we switched so I would be the one holding the weight to make sure it wouldn't slip. He couldn't lift the amount I was lifting, so I put on the lightest weight possible. It's not my fault that the poor little weakling couldn't lift it."

Her mother nodded appreciatively.

"Shouldn't you have stopped the weight from crushing him?" The principal leaned forward.

"Well, I tried but I didn't get to it fast enough." She shrugged.

"That's my girl." Her mother murmured, grinning. Vriska smirked slightly.

"Excuse me?"

"You're excused." Vriska said, with a snarky quality to her voice.

"Young lady, you are only digging a deeper hole for yourself." He warned.

She shrugged like she didn't care. Really she didn't.

"Right now you're looking at a three day suspension. You won't be transferred out of your class, but the boy that was injured will be. He's been severely injured and has been excused from all physical activity."

"Pathetic." She muttered.

"Miss Serket if you have something to say, please speak up."

She rolled her eyes and waited. The principal stared at her with narrowed eyes for a couple of moments.

"That's all. You can go." The principal shuffled some papers on his desk, clearly dismissing them.

They left and went out into the parking lot.

"You don't have to continue going here you know. I could transfer you to a better school. Or if you really want to the public school experience, we can move."

"No… I have a feeling about this school. I'm not sure if it's the people in it, but it just has something about it. I like it." Vriska shrugged, at a loss for words.

"Alright. You won't be punished, obviously. I wish I could see what happened to the kid."

"I think he's still in the hospital." They both laughed. "Such a baby."

Her mother rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to the road.

"You know… I'm getting hungry." Her mother said slyly.

"Ugh not again. Why do you have to have such a voracious appetite?"

"I can't help it, my dear." She held up her head loftily, and grinned, exposing long fangs.

**A/R: No she is not a vampire. I wouldn't do that. It would be stupid. Only Kanaya can be a vampire. Anyways, it's a short chapter. Edit2: Short chapter… I'm not sure what my definition of short was then.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

**A/R: Oh! 100 pages! YAYS! Did you know I've only done eight people's point of views? (As of this chapter) Vriska would be happy with this, but I'm not. I was planning to do all the dancestors, the main trolls, and both the alpha and beta humans. This is going to take forever… oh well! At least it gives me something to do. ^u^**

**==Be Karkat**

It's been awhile since you were him. He's not sure why you even wanted to be him in the first place.

Karkat walked into his fourth period class and stood to the side. This was the first class of chorus, because it was a B day only class. He had gone into it because he needed a fine arts credit. To his embarrassment, the teacher instantly placed him in the highest level chorus. He hadn't told anyone yet, but he saw some girls in the corner whispering and giggling. They kept glancing over at him. It was annoying as f***.

Apparently he was a tenor, whatever the hell that was. The teacher, Ms. Lan, had told him that it was the highest range for a male. He didn't really care. He didn't want to be in this class at all.

The bell rang and all the students waited for the teacher to give them their assigned seats.

The teacher moved from seat to seat pointing where each student would go. "…Karkat Vantas…"

He sat in the chair she pointed to. He pointedly ignored all the looks directed towards him. He was known for being rude to teachers, and got in trouble a lot during class because of it. He probably wasn't someone they'd expect to be in this kind of class.

"Alright, class. I don't have a syllabus for you, so I'll call out folder numbers and you can go get the song sheets in the back." She gestured to a long table in the back covered with piles of paper. She called out the numbers in alphabetical order; Karkat's being one of the last. There were a few after him, but his was still close to the end.

They all got up to get their folders and then lined up to get the music on the back table. It was slight chaos, and someone pushed forward, making him stumble. Whoever did it laughed at him.

After they got their music and sat down, Ms. Lan had each person come up and say a little bit about themselves. And if they wanted, they could sing something.

Karkat didn't really pay attention to anyone. He noticed that while the girls outnumbered the boys, there was still a good amount of them. When it was his turn he came up. He didn't care about their opinions of him, so he would probably make it short.

"I'm Karkat. I like rom-coms, and I'm on the lacrosse team." He shrugged and started to head back to his chair.

"Sing!" Someone shouted.

He glared in the general direction it came from.

"Yeah, sing!" someone else called.

"No." Karkat growled, glaring in that direction as well.

And then everyone started chanting. "Sing! Sing! Sing!"

Karkat rolled his eyes and walked back down to the center.

"You don't have to if you don't want to." Ms. Lan said. She sounded worried.

"No, I'm singing." He glowered at the students and they quieted down. He closed his eyes and began to sing.

"Ave Mary Am, where did you go? Where did you go, how did you know to get out of a world gone mad? Help me let go, It's my fault that they're bleeding they're words are misleading. Scratch calls me and tells me 'You won't stay still.' Oh don't stay still."

The class stared at him in silence, and then burst in whispers.

"Another!" Someone called. "Do a full song!"

Karkat grumbled under his breath but began singing.

"Well, hell sees your shadow in the corners of my vision—the wraith I've come to hate and love. Scourge sister, imprisoned and caliginous. Hate playa sent to you from gods above. And you don't have to make a sound, 'cause I got what you need…"

"Ok, no more." The teacher said after the first chorus. "The other people need to present themselves." Karkat saw that she was smiling, though.

Karkat frowned and went back to his seat. His friends would probably hear about this by tomorrow. Ugh, he'd better come up with an excuse by then.

The girl next to him poked him. "You were really good!" She smiled at him.

"Thanks." He muttered.

"No really. You were amazing!"

"Thank f***ing you. Now can you leave me the f*** alone?" He said, slightly louder. The girl backed off, looking upset. He opened his mouth to apologize, but stopped himself. He didn't care what she thought of him.

The class dragged on. The teacher had them pull out a song and went over the different words in it. It was in Swahili. What even is that? He glanced over the other songs, and another one was in Swahili. What was with all these songs in Swahili?

Finally, the class was nearing its end and the teacher told them to put their folders back. He wondered why they couldn't just keep them, but he obediently put his away.

"Karkat? May I speak with you?" Ms. Lan called.

He looked up, surprised. He shrugged and went down into her office.

"I know you don't really want to be in this class, but please try to be nice to your fellow students. I transferred you here because you're an excellent singer, but if you're being rude, I can just as easily put you back in normal chorus class."

He shook his head. He'd rather be in a class that appreciated his skill. Even if it was embarrassing. "I'll try."

She smiled warmly. "I look forward to it. And Karkat?"

"Yeah?"

"Here, take this." She handed him a small booklet.

"What…?"

"I think you should try out for the spring musical."

Karkat took the small booklet from her.

"Just find a dramatic scene you like and act it. The director will have you sing too, but you should try it. Drama productions are really fun."

"I'll think about it." He muttered, leaving the small office.

He sat back down, gathered up his stuff and waited to leave. The people around him were chatting to one another, not really paying him any attention, despite what they had done to him earlier.

He sighed softly, and listened for the bell as he stared at the ground.

"Are you ok?" The girl he had yelled at earlier asked him.

"…Yeah."

"If you need to talk, I'm here." She said quietly.

He shook his head and went back to staring at the floor. The bell rang and he rushed to the door. He practically ran out to his locker and climbed onto the bus.

He pulled out his cell phone and pulled up his contacts. He scrolled down to Nepeta's number.

"HEY."

":33 hello? *ac cocks her head to one side*"

"IT'S KARKAT."

":33 oh! *ac nods her head and purrs*"

"I THOUGHT YOU SAID YOU'D STOP THAT."

":33 stop what? *ac looks up questioningly*"

"YOU'RE F***ING RP TALK."

": 33 oh yeah! sorry. I furgot."

":33 so you n33ded help with math?"

"YEAH, I WISH I DIDN'T."

":33 don't worry! I'll help :33"

":33 do mew want me to come ofur to your house?"

"ARGH, NOT REALLY. MY BROTHER IS A DOUCHEBAG."

":33 it's fine! mew can come to my house again."

"NO, NO. YOU CAN COME OVER."

":33 really? what time?"

"IS RIGHT AFTER SCHOOL OK WITH YOU?"

":33 yeah, can I bring my homework with meow?"

"I DON'T F***ING CARE."

":33 ok! I'll have Equihis drop me off at your house. where is it?"

"IT'S ON THRESHECUTIONER AVE. 2nd ON THE LEFT."

":33 cool name! :33"

"YOU'RE GOING TO GET THERE BEFORE ME. JUST, TRY NOT TO GET TOO FAR INTO A CONVERSATION WITH KANKRI…"

":33 who's kankri?"

"MY BROTHER. HE'S A F***ING MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER."

":33 oh… well, s33 mew there!"

Karkat locked his phone and settled in for the ride. He didn't have anyone sitting next to him, thank god.

"Hey, little guy! Where are you? I can't see you?"

"Are you even f***ing looking?!" Karkat yelled at whoever just insulted him. Everyone laughed, and Karkat's face grew red.

This was going to be a long ride.

**A/R: Woo! Finally finished! Anyways, the two songs belong to Broadway Karkat, cantibilegato I think. First one is Ave Maryam, the other was Hate Playa (Be the Seadweller Lowblood Remix). Both are clearly not mine. This wasn't updated sooner because I was looking for good songs to put in this that didn't contain cusses because he would be sent to the principal for that. Also, if he started singing Karkalicious, or a song like that, it would just be plain awkward. Edit2: My chorus teacher literally is obsessed with Swahili songs. We sing like 5 songs a year in Swahili I'm not kidding. **


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

**A/R: I've finally gotten around to Dave and Rose! And one of my incomplete storylines. It's all nice and neat, everything's coming together! I'm so happy. ^u^**

**==Be Dave**

Can you be more specific? Dave is a pretty common name.

==**Be Dave Strider**

I don't think you've met him yet. Can you be someone you haven't met?

**==Yes.**

I wasn't asking you. I guess you can try it, if you really want to.

Dave sat in his room, staring at the package for Sburb. He'd heard mixed reviews about it, and wasn't sure if he was going to play it or not. He had gotten it mostly for ironic reasons. If anything, his sister would probably nag him into playing it.

"Dave? Are you in there?"

Oh god, that was his sister now.

"Sup." He said as she walked in, uninvited.

"You still haven't started? Strider, when you join, there will be a group looking for you. If you don't join soon the game will replace you in that group. You want to be in the first group the network chooses for you. It's the best match for your personality."

"I don't know…"

"I will beg you for help if I have to. I'm not above it."

"Fine, I'll play it. Just give me a minute." He really didn't feel like listening to her begging. He slowly got up off the floor and walked over to his computer. He inserted the disc and turned to face her.

"Happy now, Rose?"

"Yes, very happy. I have reason to believe you are in my group."

"S***."

Rose laughed and walked out of the room.

Dave turned back to the computer. No backing out now. He really doubted the game would put him with his sister. That would be too much of a coincidence.

At least he would get to review it on his gaming site. He had a pretty big following, though he never really talked about it to other people. Cool kids didn't brag about things like that.

He waited for the disc to load. Then he waited some more. And some more. And some more.

"How long does this thing take?" He said under his breath.

"A really long time." Rose was suddenly back in his room.

"Jegus, how did you do that?"

"I've been watching Bro. He taught me a little too."

Dave just stared at her from behind his shades until she left again. He couldn't believe Bro would teach her flashstep and not him. Well, actually he could. Bro _would_ do something like that.

Finally after about twenty minutes and just s***ting around, the game said it was done loading. Dave sat up and went about creating his character. He chose the human species, and clicked male. He switched the hair color to an almost white. He covered the characters eyes with his signature shades. He didn't even bother setting them to another color. Didn't even check to see what color they were. He made the character's shirt long sleeved, the sleeves red. He kept the character's dark wash jeans.

He clicked next.

The game congratulated him on his character and assigned him the symbol of a scratched red and black disk. Then he clicked next again. It told him to create a username.

He read the guidelines for it and thought for a second. Then he entered _turntechGodhead. _

The game recognized it as unique and sent him on his way, dropping him off in a large town. A bunch of trolls surrounded him, with a couple humans to one side. He didn't see any other species, except for a carapacian here and there.

**tentacleTherepist wants to pester you. Accept? Yes / No**

Dave looked around for the source of the pester. Why was it even called that? He clicked yes anyways.

TT: Hello, Dave.

TG: what the f***? How did you know it was me?

TT: It was quite obvious given your appearance.

TT: Interesting that your text color would be the same as your eye color. I noticed it was the same for me.

TG: yeah, yeah. I don't care.

TG: what are we supposed to do?

TT: Did you not look at your First Objective?

TG: no, what's that?

TT: It should've popped up when you entered the game.

A window suddenly popped up in front of the chat. It read:

**First Objective:**

**Humans come in sets of four. You must find the other three in your group. Your symbols are a ghost slime, an atom, a record, and a squid. Good luck.**

TG: ok, I got it just now.

TT: And now there should be a flashing light to the left of the screen.

TG: yeah, I see it.

He clicked on the light and up popped another window. It had the same message as before, but with four grey symbols underneath it. As he watched, two of them lit up, the record and the squid.

TG: nice symbol

TT: I didn't choose it. However, I do like it. I suppose you like yours as well?

TG: d*** straight.

TG: so, we go look for people now?

TT: I would say so. I would like to let you know that I've been playing for four days and have not seen or heard of the others in our group.

TT: I have met a nice troll though.

TG: Oh s*** you didn't. They're like, a whole 'nother species.

TT: Yes I did realize that. But they are actually human in reality.

TT: And she is very nice.

TG: do you even know her name?

TT: Yes, it's Kanaya.

TG: what the f***.

TT: It is very unique. Would you join me in searching for the rest of our group now?

TG: yeah, fine with me.

Dave closed the chat and waited for Rose to walk her character to him. Once she did, he looked her over. She was wearing a white t-shirt shirt with that symbol on it and a knee length skirt. She also had a pink scarf wrapped around her neck.

TT: Where to, Strider?

TG: what the f*** are you asking me for?

Rose started walking away.

TG: where are you going?

TT: Looking for the others. They probably aren't here, given that you took so long to log on.

Dave followed after Rose and watched as she navigated throughout the continent thing. It took forever, but they basically combed through all the major towns.

TG: maybe they aren't online.

TT: I doubt that. Most everyone is online after they get home from school.

TG: they could live in another time zone.

TT: I have a feeling that is not the case.

TG: the same feeling you got when you knew I was going to be in your group?

TT: Precisely.

TG: could you maybe get a feeling as to _where_ the other two people in our group are?

TT: It doesn't work like that.

Dave followed Rose as she walked through a remote area.

TG: where are we going now?

TT: I don't know. Kanaya informed that she saw a boy and a girl with symbols like the ones we need pass by through here a while back.

TG: then why the f*** didn't we come here first?  
TT: I felt that you needed to take your time. Often you try to rush things, and that isn't good for you.

There was a small pause between messages.

TT: Kanaya just messaged me.

TG: oh yeah? what'd she say?

TT: She said that she just met up with some people in her group.

TG: good for her.

TT: And that some of the people in her group know where we can find the other two in our group.

TG: awesome. how do we get there?

TT: I'm going to teleport to her and you teleport to me, ok?

TG: alright I'll wait.

Rose disappeared with a flash of light and Dave waited a few seconds before clicking her username and clicking transport. He was suddenly in a clearing with three trolls, all female. One was thin and lanky and was missing an eye, another was slightly chubby and had fins on the side of her face, and the third one had on a long red skirt with a bobbed haircut.

**-tentacleTherapist created a chat—**

**-turntechGodhead joined the chat—**

**- grimAuxiliatrix joined the chat—**

**-cuttlefishCuller joined the chat—**

**-arachnidsGrip joined the chat-**

TT: Dave, this is Kanaya.

TG: which one.

TT: the one with short hair.

TG: sup.

GA: Hello. Rose Has Informed Me About You.

TG: what'd she say?

GA: Not Much.

CC: ) (i! Glub!

TG: sup.

AG: ugh, is that all you say.

TG: what, sup? no I can say other things. like right now. see? I'm saying all sorts of things.

AG: you can stop now, thank you soooooooo much.

TT: I'm pretty sure I told you many things about Dave. Mostly concerning his mental health.

AG: is he insane? ::::D

TT: Technically no.

TG: oh no. you did not just say that.

TT: is something wrong, Dave? Do we need to have another session so you can vent your feelings on this matter?

TG: f*** no.

AG: another session? Seems like soooooooomeone has pro8lems. :::;)

TG: f*** you too.

AG: has that angry troll taken over you now?

TG: what?

AG: there's this really pathetic guy in our group that's always angry. Seriously, he never stops.

AG: and he's really short. Or at least his character is.

TG: I know someone a lot like that in real life.

AG: what? Really? ha that's funny.

Dave sat back, thinking. It sounded like she was describing his neighbor across the street. That was so weird.

TG: ok, so we came here because you said you knew where our members were?

CC: yea) (! Karcrab knows w) (ere t) (ey are!

TG: …karcrab?

AG: Karkat. He's the guy that's angry all the time.

TG: so it _is_ him. he's my neighbor across the street.

TT: Oh, the one that yells at us all the time for no reason?

TG: yeah. their whole family's weird.

AG: I'll give you his username and you can troll, or pester him or whatever it is humans do.

TG: pester. Only trolls troll.

AG: aaaaaaaanyways, it's carcinoGeneticist. You might not want to pester him now. I don't think he's in the mood. :::;D

TG: ok, we'll do it tomorrow.

TT: bye.

Dave logged off and closed the laptop. He walked over to his bed and fell asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.

**A/R: Edit2: I have a headcanon that Dave is normally an insomniac. This scene is an abnormality. **


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

**==Be Nepeta**

Nepeta waved goodbye to Equius as he drove off and began to walk up to the house. She heard loud music from a car coming down the street and turned to look. It was a bright cherry red mustang driving at breakneck speed. It slowed and turned into the driveway across from Karkat's. A young man stepped out, with white blonde hair and sunglasses. He walked over to the other side of the car and opened up the door for a girl to step out. They looked like they could be twins.

The girl smiled at Nepeta and waved once. The boy just nodded at her and went on his way into the house. She waved back and walked up Karkat's driveway.

She knocked on the door and waited.

A boy that looked like he was in college answered the door. He looked exactly like Karkat but had on a red turtleneck instead of a black one and he looked older too.

"Um, are you Kankri?"

"Yes. Are you one of Karkat's friends?"

"Yeah. He said he wouldn't be home yet…"

"Oh, sorry. Do come in. I hope the mess doesn't bother you. If it does I can clean it up, I don't mind at all. Karkat loves his mess though. He never lets me in his room so I can clean it. Sometime I feel triggered by that, but I try to ignore it. He doesn't realize the importance of triggers yet. I've been trying to teach him lately, but he never seems to be listening, you know?"

"Uhhh…" Nepeta just stared at him.

"Don't worry, I won't keep you long. Do you know what a trigger is? No? I'll tell you then. They are things that set people off, that annoy them or weird them out. They are something to be avoided. For example, if I told Karkat to stop cursing, that would trigger him. Although, I have tried to get him to stop it on several occasions because he does triggers some people by cursing. Cursing is actually a very common trigger, did you know? Anyways, triggers are essentially something that revert a person to some state in which they are uncomfortable in. If you trigger someone you'll soon realize it, even though everyone has their own way of dealing with triggers. Karkat's response is to be even more angry than normal. It's hard to tell with him whether or not he's triggered, since he's angry all of the time. Or at least, that's how he displays himself externally. Another response I've noticed, at least around me, is that he's quiet, almost reverent. I suspect it's because he enjoys my teachings."

Nepeta heard the door open behind her and she turned around, grateful for the distraction. It was Karkat, looking slightly more angry than usual.

"Ah, see. This is the perfect example. My little brother has been triggered, it seems…"

Nepeta tuned him out and walked over to Karkat, concerned.

"Are you ok?"

"I will be as soon as we get out of hearing range of this a**hole."

"…people call him short, which is another one of his triggers. Others include…" Kankri continued on with his rant as if they were still listening.

They escaped upstairs to Karkat's room and Nepeta looked around. His walls were covered in posters for romantic comedies. The room was actually really clean, despite what Kankri had said. She turned to face him and to her surprise, he was blushing.

"You like romantic comedies?"

"F*** yeah. That s*** is f***ing awesome."

Nepeta shook her head, giggling.

"What?" he said sharply.

"Nothing, it's just your brother is…"

"Annoying as s***?"

"Hilarious! He just keeps going on and on!" She laughed.

"Pretty sure that's the f***ing definition of annoying."

"Alright. Serious time." Nepeta looked at him with a barely constrained smile. She was trying hard not to laugh, but as soon as Karkat met her eyes, she couldn't help it. She giggled.

"It's not that funny."

"Yes it is!" She breathed out between laughs. "Ok. Ok, I got this." She breathed deeply, in and out. "Better."

Karkat snorted quietly and Nepeta looked at him funnily.

"What?"

"Nothing. Ok, let's go over basic vocabulary and stuff." She pulled out a book she had gotten from the teacher before she left.

"Isn't that last year's textbook?"

"Yes. Since today we went over stuff from last year, I thought we'd start here."

Karkat sighed, but moved over next to her so he could see the book better.

After a couple hours of laughing and learning, Karkat's dad knocked on the door.

"Is your friend staying over for dinner?" he called through the door.

He looked over at her, and she shrugged.

"Yeah. What're we having?"

"Crab."

"F***."

"Watch your language, young man."

"What's wrong with crab?" Nepeta asked after they heard his footsteps going away.

"Dad only knows how to make seafood. We've been having f***ing crab for years. I'm pretty sick of it."

"Oh. I don't think I could ever get sick of seafood." Nepeta suddenly got lost in a daydream where she could catch all the fish she wanted and then cook them however she wanted.

"You like cat's that much?" Karkat interrupted her moment in heaven.

"It has nothing to do with cats! Fish tastes amazing! Only problem is the water…" She shuddered. "My mom used to have to force me to get baths when I was little." She smiled fondly at the memory.

"Karkat! Dinner!" His dad called up from the bottom of the stairs.

They walked down the stairs together and sat next to each other at the table.

"Hmm, I don't think I've met you before." His dad commented to Nepeta. "Nice to meet you Miss…"

"Leijon. Nepeta Leijon."

"Interesting last name. I think I recognize it from somewhere back on the family tree."

"Really? That's weird…"

"So, how was your day, Karkat?" Kankri asked. "Mine was delightful. Today I went to the middle school to teach history."

"I thought you were a motivational speaker?"

"Karkat told you that? Interesting."

"F*** you."

"Well, I also happen to teach history. Well, student teach."

"Oh."

"My professor says I'll make an excellent history teacher one day, but I haven't decided to become a teacher or a motivational speaker."

"Maybe you should become a f***ing priest." Karkat muttered.

"I have been told that that would be an excellent career choice for me; however I don't think I'm quite cut out for that type of work."

They lapsed into silence after that, and everyone finished eating their meals.

"Karkat? Don't forget to do your chores after your friend leaves." Karkat's dad called after them as they left the dining room.

"Chores?" Nepeta asked.

"Yeah, I have to do them, sorry."

"Oh. Ok, I need to leave then?"

"Yeah…" Nepeta looked up into his eyes and smiled. They were very close together, if he leaned just a little bit closer together they would be kissing. Nepeta leaned slightly closer, closing her eyes and took a deep breath. He smelled wonderful, like wood and lavender.

And then the door suddenly opened. Nepeta jumped back, blushing awkwardly at the ground. She looked up through her lashes and saw that Karkat was blushing as well.

"Umm… wow. I think I'll just leave." Kankri said, but paused on his way out. "Hey, your room is actually really clean. When did that happen?"

"Uh, bye Karkat." Nepeta said, still blushing. She picked up her book bag and ran out the door.

"Wait, do you have a ride?" Kankri called after her.

"Oh…I don't think so." She took an uncertain step back towards Karkat's room.

"Karkat'll drive you."

"R-really?" Nepeta looked at him.

"But—"

"Here." Kankri handed him a set of keys. Had he planned this? It sure seemed like it.

"You don't have to drive me, I can walk." Nepeta protested. Kankri gave her a look and she looked back at the ground.

"C'mon, Nep." Karkat said. Nepeta smiled at the nickname and followed after him as he walked outside. He opened the garage and there were two cars. One was a gray-black color and was an SUV. The other was small and sleek and red. Nepeta surmised that the red one was Kankri's. And she was right. A lot of people around here like red… strange.

Karkat opened her door for her and she giggled. "A true gentleman."

He just rolled his eyes at her and got in on his side. "What kind of music do you like?"

"Oh, uh… well I kinda like Jpop and Kpop. I doubt you like that kind of stuff though. Besides, I don't have my iPhone with me and there aren't any channels on the radio that have that kind of music." He silently pulled out his iPhone and she clapped her hands in happiness, and grabbing it. She went on YouTube and put on a playlist she had made. Soon she was singing along, terribly of course, but at least she was good at memorizing lyrics.

"What the f***? How the hell do you sing along to this s***?"

"It's easy if you listen to the lyrics closely. Plus I've heard these songs thousands of times. If I hadn't memorized them by now it'd be weird."

"It's weird that you listen to this s*** at all."

"Well, why don't you put on something?"

"Alright." He turned off his iPhone and put on a "Top40" station on the radio. And then proceeded to sing along to every single song. Nepeta laughed and tried singing along too, but got lost and had to stop.

"Wow, you're really good! You should be in chorus class or something." Nepeta laughed and tried to listen to the next song.

"I am."

"You are what?"

"In chorus class. The f***ing teacher put me in the highest class too."

"That's pawesome! Oops, sorry cat pun. But it really is cool!"

He looked over at her. "I've noticed you do that when you're nervous."

"Do what?"

"Make cat puns."

"I-I'm sorry. I can stop if mew—you want." Nepeta looked at him worriedly.

Karkat glanced over at her. "We're at your home." He got out of his side and opened up her door. "Don't ever stop doing something you love for a f***a** like me." He paused, looking at his hands. "I shouldn't have told you to stop doing your role play either. God I'm such a f***ing idiot."

She stood up and stood nose to nose with him. "Don't you ever say something like that again. You are not an idiot, got that? I stopped role playing because you told me to, yes, but I don't want to annoy people. All my life, people have gotten annoyed by me. My being obsessed with cats, my role playing, my optimism. I don't want to annoy people. I just want to make them happy. So it's not your fault and you _aren't_ an idiot."

"Nep, you are making people happy."

"Who? No one I know."

He shook his head. "You don't f***ing get it, do you?" And then he kissed her.

It was just a small, light kiss, but it was like heaven had come down and all its angels had started singing. She knew that sounded cheesy, but it didn't change the fact that was exactly what it was like.

"Bye." He said against her lips and then he walked back to the car and drove off, leaving her standing there in a daze.

She walked up to the house, unlocked the door and sat on the couch, not really drinking anything in.

Suddenly a shadow crossed her vision and a pair of hands came down in front of her eyes.

"_Hey Nep! I came home from the hospital today!" _The hands were a blur, she could barely read them. Nepeta followed up the arms to look at the head attached to them. It was Meulin.

"Meulin!" She cried, jumping up to hug her.

**A/R: So I finally gave you some Katnep. Sorry it took so long to get to here! Don't worry; it'll get even better than this. Edit2: And yes, it does. Heh heh heh. *evil laugh* **


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

**==Be Rose**

Rose felt the sun shining on her petals, and she quickly opened her blooms to catch the attention of the bees that would be flying—

**==Not a rose! Rose Lalonde!**

Oh, well you should've been more specific.

Rose walked up her driveway and glanced back over to the girl on Karkat's driveway. She was heading up into the house. Interesting. She surmised that Karkat wouldn't be on the computer today. Maybe after the girl left they could try it. For now, though she would let her brother try to message him to see his reaction when she said she already knew he wasn't online. The corner of her mouth pulled up slightly. It was too easy to get him to react.

She walked up into her room and set her backpack gently on the floor. She heard her brother shamelessly just drop his. In the hallway, no less. Mother would have something to say about that, later. And then she and Bro would get in one of their arguments. Even though Mother was the parent of all three of them, before Dave and Bro moved in Bro had acted like a father to Dave. So often he would get into long arguments with Mother about her drinking, and about her passive-aggressive battles. Also, she didn't approve of his strifes with Dave, and she certainly did not like Lil' Cal or any of his other puppets. She had stopped drinking because of him, a while back. He still had arguments with her, though.

She rubbed her temples trying to escape from an oncoming headache. Thinking about their complicated family structure did that to her sometimes.

She sighed and logged onto Sburb. Maybe Kanaya would have some advice for her.

**Are you sure you want to pester grimAuxiliatrix? Yes / No**

She clicked yes and waited for a response.

GA: Yes, Rose?

TT: I'm having trouble with a headache. Do you know of any cures?

GA: No, I Don't Think So.

TT: Alright, thanks anyways.

GA: Wait, Before You Leave. The Guy You Want To Talk To Isn't Online At The Moment.

TT: I deduced that. He had a visitor today. She was about his height, had a blue hat with kitten ears and was wearing a trench coat. Does that describe anyone you know?

GA: Let Me Ask My Peers.

GA: They Say That She Is In Our Group. Her Name Is Nepeta.

TT: Hmm. I think she's in one of my classes.

GA: Interesting… I Speculate We All Live In The Same Town. Thoughts?

TT: I believe that, eventually, we will all end up in the same town, if we aren't already. Are you in the same town as us? If you are, I would love to meet you.

GA: I'm Not Sure. I Have Seen People My Own Age Who Look Suspiciously Like The Trolls In My Group, But I Haven't Spoken With Them.

TT: You should, it might turn out that we have a class together. I have a feeling that we do.

GA: Which One, Do You Know?

TT: No. But if you see someone who has the same look as my character, go talk to her. Ask her name. If it's Rose, you know it's me. I'll attempt to wear a similar outfit to what I'm wearing now.

GA: Alright, I'll See What I Can Do. Perhaps Tomorrow?

TT: I look forward to meeting you.

GA: Good Bye. And Good Luck With Your Headache.

TT: Thank you, and good bye.

Rose exited the chat and wandered around the game, looking for people in her group. She didn't think she would have any luck with it, but it didn't hurt to try. Several times she spotted a boy a girl that had a symbol similar to the one's she was looking for. One of them was so similar, she actually pestered them

**Are you sure you want to pester gutsyGumshoe? Yes / No**

Rose selected yes, yet again.

TT: Excuse me, but are you in my group?

GG: Gee, I'm sorry, but I don't think so.

TT: I apologize; your symbol is in the exact shape as one in mine.

GG: it's alright! have you seen anyone in my group?

TT: What are their symbols?

GG: a baseball hat, a skull, and a cat.

TT: I may have seen the cat somewhere, but I don't quite remember where. Maybe you should check the town where new people are dropped off?

GG: thank you, I'll message you if I see someone in your group, alright?

TT: That would be nice, thank you.

She exited out of the chat and watched the girl leave. She sighed and logged off; she wasn't in the mood to search anymore.

"Rose!"

"Yeah, Dave?"

"Karkat's not online. Should I go talk to him?"

"He left to go drop off his friend that was visiting. You didn't notice?"

"Wait, what time is it?"

"Time for dinner." Rose got up and went to the kitchen to go make something to eat.

"Are you making real food?" Dave walked in the room, leaning his arms on the counter as she got a pot.

"Yes. Would you like some?"

"Hell yeah."

**==Be Meulin**

What? Why? I thought you liked being Rose.

**==She's boring, be Meulin.**

You know what? No. I'm sick of being bossed around by you. Be Eridan.

**==Oh God no. Anyone but him.**

Well, if you stop interrupting me maybe I'll let you be someone else.

==**Ok, I'll stop! Can I please be Meulin?**

Alright, but only because you said please.

Meulin hugged Nepeta ecstatically. It had been a little awkward when she came home to find a girl she didn't know in the guest room, but she found out that her name was Jade and that she was a friend of Nepeta's. And that she was staying at their house, for now.

"_I'm sorry I wasn't here when you came back! Is Jade ok?"_

_"Yeah, she told me about her grandfather."_

_"When did you get back?"_

_"A couple hours ago. The doctors just let me go. Where were you?"_

_"I was helping a friend with schoolwork. He needed help in math."_

_"Equius?"_

_"No, Karkat."_

_"The one who brought me in to the hospital?"_

_"Yes. Where's Jade now?"_

_"I think she's in her room."_

_"I should probably tell her I'm home."_

_"Alright, I'll make food."_

_"Thanks!"_

Nepeta smiled happily, it seemed like everything was right in the world. She hoped this feeling would last forever. Of course, nothing lasts forever.

"Jade…" Nepeta opened her door, knocking lightly. She looked around, but the room was dark and empty. She frowned and looked in her room, and Meulin's room, but she wasn't in either of those. She got worried, but then she walked over to the bathroom and heard running water.

"Jade?" She called through the door. "You in there?"

"Yeah." The water stopped. "You need something?" Her voice sounded taut. She seemed worried about something.

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I just… Well I didn't really plan this, but…"

"What is it?"

"My dog… He came here."

"What…?" Nepeta looked at the door in confusion.

"Well, he's very protective of me and is always by my side. I knew he would find me though I wasn't sure how to tell you…"

"That doesn't matter. Meulin and I love animals. But will he hurt my cats?"

"Oh. I didn't think about that…"

"We'll figure something out, don't worry."

"Thanks. Right now I'm washing him, it might take a while."

"Alright, Meulin's making food if you want something to eat when you're done."

"'K"

Nepeta shook her head, smiling. She had been worried over nothing. She nodded her head and went to help her sister with dinner.

**A/R: Ok, so…. This is basically filler. I haven't decided what to do for major plot twists yet. Eh. I'm too lazy to do it right now. I'll figure it out as I go along, probably. Edit2: Don't worry, I have many plot twists planned yet to come. :} **


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

**==Be Eridan**

Oh so _now_ you want to be Eridan. Real nice.

Eridan started up his laptop and went on Google. Google was his go to for everything, it made him seem so much smarter than he actually was. He started by looking up student exchange programs. He looked up above the screen at the dark, empty room. He was in the basement, where no one would think to find him. He didn't think anyone but the servants even knew they even had a basement. And they didn't really count. No one would bother him here.

He clicked on the first thing that popped up. Incidentally, it was just an ad for another search engine. Eridan slammed his hand on a box next to him, which had something very hard inside. That hurt. He waved his hand in the air, trying to dim the pain but it didn't stop the whimpers from escaping his mouth. He brought it under the light of the computer screen and saw some of the skin had been torn off, but it was nothing very serious. The way it felt, he thought he'd broken a bone. In reality, he wasn't even bleeding.

He clicked the back arrow on the screen and clicked further down on the page, using his good hand. This turned out to be a site that was only for Americans going to other countries. Why did so many things cater to only them? Ugh, they should all die. He frowned, looking for good site, but came up empty. Maybe he could convince Fef to come back to England? Probably not, she had left because of a threat to her life. Crazy thing was, it was her own mother who issued the threat. He knew her mother had wanted her dead since birth, which was how she had come to live nearby him. Now that the Queen was nearing death, she claimed that Fef was challenging her right to the throne just by being able to live past her death. Truth was Fef didn't even want to be Queen. She thought it was an old fashioned concept.

He shook his head. Why she didn't want to be royalty, he could never understand. He typed new a search term into Google: "England to America student exchange."

Finally, he got some results. Most cost money, but several of them were free if you applied for them. Each one had its own unique application form, and he had to write something. It didn't matter what, an essay, a paragraph. He just had to write something for every single one. Why he wanted to go. Why he deserved it over everyone else. He frowned. He didn't think Father would agree to it if it cost money. He was very greedy, and had a one track mind when it came to money. He had made sure his boys were very smart so that they would get scholarships. He even went so far as to get a personal tutor when they got lower than an A. The tutor wasn't that great, probably because he was free.

Anyways, Eridan applied for every single one he could and sighed as he closed the computer. Phase 1 complete. All he had to do was get one of them, or maybe more than one. That would be nice. Then after that, he would convince Father to let him go. It would be great experience for Eridan, and free no less. At least, that would be his argument. He would have to emphasize on the fact that it was free. He would be angry that he had done this, but he could come up with some excuse eventually for not telling him about it.

He grinned slightly. This was going to work, he knew it.

==**Be Feferi**

What is up with you? Why do you keep doing this?

**==Well, I only do it when it seems like you're done.**

Fine, we'll switch POV. I don't care anymore.

Feferi stared at the ceiling, not really doing anything. She had already fed her cuttlefish; her new parents had already signed her up for school, which she would start tomorrow. She messed with her skirt, flipping it back in forth. She hoped the school would have a pool. And a swim team.

She had gone to check it out, but had been afraid to ask. Everyone had stared at her. She guessed it was because she was new. She frowned slightly and checked her computer. It was still logged into Sburb but no one had contacted her. She shrugged and dived into the ocean. This game was so cool, there were no boundaries. After swimming a while she found a small cave and swam into it. The tunnel was dark, and she couldn't see the screen as easily in open water. Eventually it opened up into a wide space, with a pocket of air on top of the water. There was a beach with black glittering sand to one side. The cave had a door at the back, up at the top of the beach, which Feferi thought was weird. She walked out of the water towards it and knocked on it quietly. No one responded, so she knocked a little louder. Again, no one answered and she pressed the handle down. The door swung open to reveal a brightly lit golden paradise. It seemed like everything was made of gold, and fuchsia where that was impossible. Feferi stood there with her mouth hanging open.

She slowly walked in and looked around in the room. There were several hallways branching off it with doors of their own. Everything gleamed, and some even had jewels embedded in them.

"What is this for?" She wondered out loud.

It is for you, my dear.

"What?" A window had suddenly appeared on her screen. It was white text on a green background.

As I said, it was made for you.

"What does that even mean?"

It means I knew when you would join the game, dear. This palace was made all for you. You are the heir to the throne, my dear.

Feferi inhaled sharply. How was this guy responding to her words, spoken out loud? And how the hell did he know she was a princess?

I am omniscient, my dear. Or nearly. 

"Ok, so you can see me right now?"

But of course. However, that isn't the point. This, all of it was built for you. Not because you are meant to be a ruler in real life, although that is part of it. It is also because of your blood color.

"My blood color?"

I don't believe it was explained to you yet. The trolls have a caste system that is based on blood color. It is the color of your symbol.

"So what does this all have to do with the palace?"

I was getting to that. You see, your blood is the highest in the hemospectrum, which is the rainbow of blood colors. Low bloods start at the beginning of the rainbow, high bloods at the end. High bloods are rarer, and are therefore higher. There is only a few of your color, my dear.

"I knew it! I didn't see many other sea trolls. I thought Eridan and I were the only ones."

You are not the only ones, but you are the only ones that matter.

"Ones that matter? What does that mean?"

Excuse me; I'm getting ahead of myself. I am only here to tell you that this palace yours. You may spend as much time as you want here in game.

"Thanks, mystery man. But… I don't really want to be heir of anything."

I apologize, but that's the way it must be. 

Feferi frowned.

Now, I must take my leave. There are more pressing things at hand.

Feferi sighed as the box faded. Who even was this guy? He seemed to be telling the truth. He even answered her questions she spoke out loud. He was either spying on her, or he actually was omnipotent. She shrugged. Either way her privacy was violated. She glanced at the room on the screen wistfully before logging off of Sburb. She would search it more thoroughly tomorrow. As it was, her new parent was very strict. She even made Feferi call her Mom.

Feferi's new mother was tall, and had adopted two children before her. They were sisters, named Kanaya and Porrim. They were both interested in fashion, but were slightly on the creepy side. Feferi stayed away from them most of the time. While 'Mom' was very caring, she had never had a husband. And she was extremely religious. Which was awkward for Feferi, she'd never even been to church.

Well, occasionally when she was younger. But once she was old enough, Feferi's actual mother had called her an abomination and threatened to kill her if she went to church again. Which was interesting, to say the least. She never figured out why exactly church was off limits, but it wasn't like she cared. She remembered being bored out of her mind during it; she was more relieved than upset.

At least this wasn't that bad. The church she attended now had nice people in it, and they talked to her occasionally. It was still weird listening to the man preach. Listening as he spelled out his beliefs, and had a whole congregation nodded along. It was just strange. She didn't know whether she liked it or not.

She frowned slightly as she brushed her teeth with a dark pink toothbrush. At least she wasn't expected to believe it. She was fine with going, even if it was boring.

Feferi continued to prepare for bed and turned out the light at the exact moment 'Mom' entered the room to check if she asleep yet. The first few nights, she'd been scolded and given a lecture at proper bed time habits. It was a little annoying, to say the least. She had gotten used to it, and in the morning she felt much better than she ever had before. She felt healthier too.

'Mom' smiled softly at Feferi, and quietly closed the door. She fell asleep moments later.

**A/R: Edit2: And the plot thickens… Sort of. **


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

**==Be Vriska**

It's been so long… I don't know if anyone actually remembers where we left off with her. To recap: Her mother was hungry, and Vriska was strangely annoyed by this fact.

==**Be Vriska **

Yes, yes. I see you. I think an full recap is in order?

==**No, be Vriska**

Ugh, you're so demanding.

Vriska muttered under her breath and her mother turned sharply to face her.

"I heard that."

"Really? Than what did I say?"

"You called me a spider-obsessed b****."

Mother was obsessed with spiders. She ate spiders. As if that wasn't enough, she kept some as pets. And acted like one as well. It was really creepy, but it had rubbed off on Vriska.

For Vriska's mother, everything was about spiders. She was royalty, but as a way to pass the time she took up studying spiders and bugs. But mainly spiders. And she actually earned money, like they needed it. That didn't stop her, she never had enough money. Neither did Vriska, really.

Vriska was definitely her mother's daughter. Aranea, while she liked spiders, she was less b****y and considerably more nerdy.

Aranea was… well she was different. She liked to write. And talk. For extremely long amounts of time. Often, she would go on these tangents that were never related to her original story. She was a good storyteller, but she needed to learn how to compress her thoughts.

"Which is it today?" Vriska sighed. For some reason Mother made her get the spiders. She didn't understand her mother. Sometimes she was extremely lazy, and other times she was very violent.

"I think a goliath bird-eating spider will do nicely."

"Ugh. Why does it have to be the largest spider you have?"

"Then you only have to catch one, my dear."

Vriska rolled her eyes as they pulled up to a large gated off house. Vriska walked up to the gate and opened it, allowing her mother's car through and then closing it behind her.

She got back in the car and they drove up to the house. It was very large, three floors up, and she didn't even know how long it was. Vriska called it a mansion, but because it was smaller than the home they'd had in England, Mother refused to call it that.

Vriska got out of the car and went straight to Mother's spider room, up the stairs and two doors to the left. She wanted to get this over with. The spiders were scattered throughout the house, but the majority of them were in this one room. They each had a cordoned off section of the room that was their own. Some of the smaller ones had aquarium tanks, so they wouldn't be lost among the larger ones.

Vriska found the largest section in the far right corner, following a carefully laid path between precarious cages stacked on top of each other. Each of the cages and tanks held a completely different habitat, based on the spider's needs. Sometimes Vriska got a little creeped out at all the spiders, but she tried not to dwell on it so much.

She opened the glass door at the edge of the tinted glass enclosure stepped through. These were nocturnal spiders, something Vriska wasn't entirely happy about.

The enclosure had a dirt floor, how deep it was could be seen from outside. It was very dark compared to the outside room. Vriska waited until her eyes adjusted and then she looked across the floor at all the burrows. The spiders could be in any one…

Vriska grabbed a set of thick gloves on near the door. She did not want to be bitten. These spiders could pack a punch. She also grabbed a face mask, like those that sick people wear. The bird eating spider was very ferocious, and she'd had experience with not wearing gear in here. It wasn't fun.

In a small tank, also near the door, was several different prey animals for the spiders to eat. Vriska pulled out a snake and held it just behind its head. She set it on the ground and let go of the head, instead keeping it trapped by the tail. With all the moving it was doing, it was sure to attract attention. Vriska stood to make her-self look as big and inedible as possible. She probably should've gotten on a long sleeve shirt and thicker pants than just her jeans, but it was too late for that now.

A small movement in the corner of her vision caught her eye. A big spider, about a foot across, was coming towards her and the snake. Vriska didn't dare make a sound or movement. She knew they couldn't hear, but she wasn't taking any chances.

The spider suddenly struck at the snake, biting it. Vriska knew that the snake was instantly paralyzed. Now she would have to grab the spider without making any movements prior to jumping and grabbing it. She could make small shifts but that was it. And she could only do that because the spider was busy eating.

She jumped forward, grabbing the spider. It hissed at her, and tried to bite her hands. She was glad for the gloves. She could see it begin to bristle up, but Vriska quickly took out a knife and threw the spider to the ground along with the knife a split second later, instantly stabbing it in the head. A clear liquid stared seeping through, but Vriska didn't care. She picked up the spider, careful not to let the bristles touch her skin. She set it on a silver platter that was set in a neat stack by the door and carried it out of the room, locking the door behind her.

Her mother had better appreciate this. She probably wouldn't. Vriska sighed. Mother was always hungry, it never ended. She probably would have to go get more later today too. Recently, Mother wanted more and more spiders to eat. It was a good thing they had so many, but they would have to order more soon and there weren't many people that should spiders for a living.

She set the platter in front of Mother, and swiping her knife out of its body with a flourish and a bow.

"Bristles." Mother said distastefully.

Vriska sighed and started plucking them, one at a time. It wasn't too hard because the spider had been about to eject them anyways. At least she still had the gloves. Mother would yell at her if she didn't go put them back later though.

"There." Vriska said, satisfied.

Mother looked at the spider from a couple different angles. Then she deftly cut off the fangs and tossed them to one side. Venom pooled out from the wound and she waited until it all came out. Then she looked at Vriska expectantly.

"Ugh, fine." She went over and got a fork and a knife.

"Thank you, darling." Vriska heard the mocking tone in her voice, and flipped her off. "That is no way to treat your mother!" She still didn't sound serious. "Now leave me alone so I can eat in peace. And put the gloves back!"

Vriska turned around and left, walking out of the room. She stopped by the spider room and put the gloves just inside the door. Now Mother couldn't yell at her. She smirked.

She walked down to her room. Exhausted, Vriska lay on the bed. Three whole days of this, having to do things for Mother. This wasn't going to be fun at all.

**A/R: Anyways, fun fact about me, I absolutely love spiders. I'm not kidding; I think jumping spiders are absolutely adorable. They're just so cute! I guess people think I'm weird because of this…but I don't really care. Edit2: Is it weird that I'm enjoying rereading this? I barely remembered what happened, so it's nice to refresh my memory. **


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

**A/R: Ok, so this chapter is meant to be short. I can't make it longer; that would defeat the point of it. So sadly, I'm breaking my goal of 1,000 words per chapter. Hopefully this will be the only chapter like it though.**

**==Be— **

Sorry I'm breaking in. Today I decide. ==Be ?

A large man sat behind a desk, although he didn't seem like the type to sit around all day.

"Lord, the girl is cooperating perfectly." A worker came in to give him a status report.

"Good. Maybe we'll be able to set the plan in motion this time around." The man's voice was very deep and grating. It didn't sound human at all.

"The countdown is already set in place. As long as _she_ isn't found, you should be on time."

"Dismissed." The man behind the desk waved him away. Another man, this one very different from the worker came in through a secret door.

"What about you?" The man waited for the interesting man to speak up.

"I'm not sure if the kids believe me yet, but if I prove to them that I know what I'm talking about, I might be able to convince them to do what I say. I'll figure out a way."

The man chuckled slightly. "They'll never know what hit them."

The man that was standing up nodded. The light reflected off of his large, round head. It was featureless and was solid white. He wore a tuxedo that was all bright green and white.

"It would seem that way, Lord."

**A/R: Bluh I'm not good at dramaticy stuff. Is it good enough? I hope it is… Is it too clichéd? I know you can tell exactly who the other person is… I guess it would be kind if hard to not know when character roles are already set in place.*sigh* Oh well. Edit: I'm so tired… I should probably go to bed… But I'm almost done! Nah, I'm going to bed. **


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

**==Be Karkat**

I was going to do a recap, since you wouldn't let me do it earlier.

**==But you interrupted me last chapter!**

So? I should be the one to decide who to be. I am the author, after all.

**==Be Karkat Be Karkat Be Karkat Be Karkat Be Kaaaaaaaarkat.**

Are you kidding me? Stop it.

**==Be Karkat Be Karkat Be Karkat Be Karkat Be Karkat Be Karkat**

This is just getting childish now.

==**BE KARKAT!**

Ugh, fine. You are so annoying sometimes, you know that? But next chapter I'm doing a recap.

Karkat worried the entire way home. It seemed like Nepeta liked him, but she didn't even say anything after he kissed her. What if she didn't like him? What if she didn't even want to be his friend because of this? He shook his head, trying to concentrate on the road.

He ran through the scene again. She had looked so worried, it wasn't an expression he had seen much of on her face. She was normally happy. He didn't know why, but he just had to kiss her. She was…beautiful.

And he knew that what he did was so clichéd. He had seen this scene so many times in his romcoms. Normally the girl came either came to love the guy later, or she fell instantly in love. It never ended in failure. But real life wasn't like that; the guy didn't always get the girl.

He frowned at a red light, and was suddenly reminded of the red on his shirt in the game. Why had the game allowed him to change it? It was almost as if…he was meant to do it. But that didn't make any sense because why would the game single him out? He was a born leader, obviously, but he didn't think out of thousands of people that he would be singled out for a different color. He didn't even know what the colors were meant for, other than text color.

He sighed, dragging himself back to his first thought and reached up to touch his lips. He could still feel the warmth of her on them. It was never like this with past girlfriends. Always, it was the girl to approach him first. He'd never been the one to make the first move, as he'd never really been looking for a relationship. There was something about Nepeta that just, drew him in. It wasn't just the fact that she was very cute, it was also that she was always happy. She made him feel happy too, even if he didn't show it.

As he pulled into his driveway, his phone buzzed. He fished it out of his pocket and turned off the car as he read it.

":33 Thanks for giving me a ride home :33"

She wasn't even going to mention it? They were just going to act like it hadn't happened?

"IT WASN'T A F***ING PROBLEM."

He sat in the car and waited for a response. Any excuse to stall, he took. He wanted to avoid Kankri for as long as possible.

":33 Is something wrong?"

"WHY THE F*** WOULD SOMETHING BE WRONG?"

Karkat hoped that since she couldn't hear his tone of voice, she couldn't tell that he was nervous.

":33 You s33m…off."

"F*** YOU, I'M NOT F***ING OFF."

":33 Karkitty, don't lie."

Karkat glared at the phone, and decided to not respond. She was being frustrating; this wasn't what he wanted at all. He wanted a break from all the frustration.

His phone started ringing. He twisted his mouth at the sound. Hadn't he set it to vibrate? Maybe that was just for texts. The song was a parody of Fergalicious that he had sung himself a while ago, called Karkalicious. It had gone off in class before, and it was kind of embarrassing, but he didn't really care.

He clicked answer without really glancing at the caller ID.

"Yeah?"

"Karkitty! Why won't you text me back? What's wrong?" Oh god, she sounded worried. Why the f*** did she have to call him?

"Look, I f***ing told you already! There's nothing wrong!"

"Karkitty…" Nepeta sounded sad and disappointed at the same time.

"Look, I'm f***ing sorry, ok? For everything."

"Even…the kiss?" So she would mention it. He instantly turned bright red.

"F*** I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to, I just…"

"Karkitty! Don't apologize fur that!"

"But…" He drew a deep breath. "Nep, you deserve someone better than me." She really did. She deserved someone with morals, who wouldn't cuss her out for no reason. Someone good.

"Hey! Mr. Grumpy Pants, I do not approve of your attitude! I like you, and I'm purretty sure you like me too…?"

"F***. I don't know. I think so."

"Good. Then we will go on some dates and see how it works out, ok?"

"Alright…"

"Can you plan them? I'm a little busy because Meulin just got home from the hospital."

"That's great."

"Purrlease?" He could almost hear the puppy-dog eyes in her tone.

"S***, fine."

"Thank you Karkitty!"

He smiled at the phone and hung up after saying goodbye. Now how had to plan a date. This wasn't going to be easy.

He walked up into the house and opened the door.

"Dear student—I mean brother. You have returned." Karkat threw the keys at him, which Kankri deftly caught. "I'm assuming it went well?"

"I have to plan a date." He grumbled.

"Hmm, did you ask her about places that trigger her?"

"F*** you." Karkat hurried up the stairs and went to prepare for bed. He frowned at the math papers scattered across his floor. He'd probably pick them up before he went to school, he didn't feel like doing it at the moment.

After he finished up preparing for bed, he turned out the lights and tried to sleep, but his head was full of thoughts of different romantic dates. The only examples he'd ever had were dinner dates. And movie dates too. Most of his relationships didn't last very long. The girls he met weren't very interesting.

Somehow he didn't think Nepeta would want to do something like that. Maybe something with a lot of moving around, like something outdoors maybe. Paintball? No. She would like laser tag, maybe. He thought she would. She seemed to have good hand eye coordination. Even though he wasn't very good at shooting things, but he might as well try. Something told him that she was going to do a lot better than him. He didn't care though, as long as she had fun. That was the whole point anyways.

He smiled slightly and closed his eyes. Now all he needed was where and when. He was so glad he kissed her.

**A/R: Awwww! Adorableness! I love Katnep so much. :33 Hooray! (if you didn't guess earlier, Mr. Grumpy Pants ****_is _****a reference to pantskat. Heh that meme is so hilarious) Edit2: Squeee! Is it weird that I'm fangirling at my own fic? **


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

**A/R: This recap is basically for me, and it's in the way I take notes. You don't have to read it if you don't want to. **

Ok, so Karkat got the game on Thursday. He met Nepeta and John IN GAME. Then he went to bed after dinner (unimportant).

On Friday, Nepeta was introduced. She found out that Karkitty's in her geometry class, and did NOT find out that Terezi was in her art class. That didn't happen until Monday. She met Karkat's friends, Sollux, Gamzee, and Terezi in that lunch, and wasn't sure whether or not KK was CG, but it was kinda obvious to her. So then they all met in game, plus Fef, Vriska and Tav. Nep fur real found out that Karkat was the Cancer in game, and she got slightly mad at him. Well not really mad, more disappointed. Meh. And then they all discovered they were in the session or as it's called for now "group."

On Saturday KK mysteriously found out Nepeta's cell number (stalker). And he came over to her house to play Sburb with her. Then all of the sudden Meulin swooped in! She and Nepeta had a long chat and Karkat left angrily because he found out Nep had told his name to John. Which made Nep very upset… Meulin came back to her apartment after talking with Nepeta for a while and Kurloz got really mad… And she managed to get away! Yays! Karkat found her, cause he was sulking and took her to the hospital. Oh and John met Jade in game! Also on this day, Vriska found Eridan and talked to Fef and Aradia. And met up with Kan, Rose, and Dave. Yes that all happened on this day.

On Sunday, John started his new job at the hospital. And met Meulin because she needed a sign language translator. And then met Karkat because he had stayed with Muelin. And then met Nepeta because she went to go visit Meulin. And Nepeta met Jade on the way there and talked about things. Then Nepeta found out that Jade's grandfather had died, so she went to comfort her, and ended up inviting her into her home. (Meulin was right, she's very naïve).

On Monday, Nep went to school with Equius and he didn't really approve of her having Jade stay at her house. She promised to let him meet her, which will happen eventually. Nep and TZ found out they were in the same art class! Huzzah! And KK was having trouble in math class, so Nepeta offered to help him after school or some such. This was also Vriska's first day at school! She had Nepeta show her the lunch room, and she also sat with them. If only because of Terezi. ALSO Eridan formed his plan to come to America. Because he's an idiot and can't see that Fef isn't interested. After that, Sollux left lunch early and Vriska came after him to "apologize" for making fun of him or whatever.

And THEN (still same day) Fef got the amazing mansion in game, along with a creepy omniscient guy. Or was it omnipotent? I forget the difference. says omniscient is all knowing and omnipotent is unlimited power. Which did I use…? Ha! Omniscient, I was correct. Also, Vris went to her gym class and paralyzed Tav. Poor Tavvie :c. She got suspended (shoulda been expelled. umu) for that, and Tavros is still in the hospital.

And of course, we have the Katnep. Nepeta went over to Karkat's house to help him study for math. She ended up staying for dinner, and then got driven home by him. They kissed, if only shortly. And ended up planning a date; or at least Karkat has to. And Meulin finally returned from the hospital. And one more thing, that may become important later, is that Jade now has Bec with her. This may not turn out well…

Last but not least, we have the second to last chapter from this one. Who are the two people in the room? What are they planning? And why is it so ominous? Bluh I know it's not really ominous. Ok, that's up to date! It's finally over with. Would've been done sooner but I was putting it off because I don't like rewriting what I've already written.

**A/R: No! It's another chapter under 1,000! Noooooooo! I can understand why Hussie does these though. It's a lot easier to make sure everything fits in the time schedule. Edit2: Since this chapter there has been none under 1,000 words. Currently. Yay! (Excepting further recaps)**


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

**==Be Jade**

Jade brushed her hand along Bec's back. She honestly didn't know what to do with him. Hopefully if she stayed with him, he wouldn't go running off again. He did that a lot; she liked to think of him as an outdoor dog.

Bec was already clean and everything, but she didn't want him chasing after Nepeta's cats. He would most likely kill them if he did, and she knew it. She didn't want Nepeta to deal with another death in her life. She wasn't quite sure what she was going to do about Bec. Maybe he would stay outside if she told him to? But that wouldn't be fair to Bec, even if he was wilder than the average pet. He was very intelligent, maybe if she told him not to chase the cats, he wouldn't.

But it still might not work, so Jade just sat there, zoning out and rubbing Bec's back. He whined at her and nudged her hand with his snout. He could tell she was worried about something. She could never hide it from him.

"Sorry Bec. If you don't kill Nepeta's cats, I'll let you stay. If not I'll have to keep you outside." She patted the dog mournfully on his head. He whined and shook his head to shake off excess water. Then he tilted it to one side, as if asking her a question. His tail started thumping against the bathtub and his tongue hung out of his mouth as he panted happily.

"I'll take that as an agreement." Jade grinned and stood up. Bec did as well, his nails clicking against the bathtub as he struggled to stand. In the end he disappeared with a flash of green and reappeared next to Jade a half a second later. She jumped. "Jesus, Bec. Don't do that."

He just rubbed his head on her hand in apology. She shook her head, smiling. She carefully opened the door. Apparently, just in front of the door was one of the cat's favorite nap areas, because there was one right on the windowsill. Bec growled at it, and it stood up and hissed, puffing up. It quickly ran away though, and they didn't cross paths with any more cats. Bec just stayed by her side, like he knew what he was supposed to do.

"Nepeta, I think Bec's ok now!" She called down the stairs.

"Good! Do you want to help us with dinner?"

"Sure!" Jade walked down to the kitchen and walked in. She looked around and saw Nepeta's older sister, Meulin. She had found out earlier that she was very nice, and they worked in sync, occasionally moving their hands in what she assumed was sign language.

"What's your dog's name again?"

"Becquerel. I normally just call him Bec for short."

"That's an interesting name…"

"My Grandpa named him, not me."

"That's weird. Normally when you get a pet the parent lets the kid name them."

"Yeah. My Grandpa got him when he was little."

"He's lived that long?" Nepeta sounded incredulous.

"I don't even know how old he is. I just know that he can do strange things. But I'd rather not talk about that. I get the feeling he doesn't want me to tell anyone about the things he does." Bec barked once, as if to show his approval to this statement.

"What, can he understand us or something?"

"I'm not sure; I like to think he does." Jade shrugged and grinned.

Nepeta's phone buzzed and she picked it up. "Sorry, I'm texting someone right now." Meulin signed something and Nepeta blushed, signed back and nodded.

Jade glanced from sister to sister as the phone buzzed again. They communicated silently for a little bit, but then Nepeta picked up her cell phone, still blushing furiously.

"I don't think he's going to text me back." She muttered to Jade.

"What?"

"He won't tell me what's wrong. I'm going to call him." Nepeta left the room. If Jade listened close enough, she could barely hear Nepeta's high-pitched voice.

"Who's she talking to?" Jade wondered out loud. Meulin motioned with her finger to a pad of paper and pencil over in the other room. It was actually the one they had been using before Bec came. Jade went over to get it, and gave it to her. Jade waited for Meulin to write down what she wanted to say and then turned the pad towards herself so she could read it.

_'He' is Karkat. I think Nepeta and him are dating, although I'm not sure._

"Oh… She never told me about him."

_She didn't tell me until a couple of days ago. I don't think she's known him very long. Can you keep an eye on her, make sure she's safe?_

"Of course! I wouldn't want her to get hurt by anyone."

_Have you met him before?_

"I don't think so."

Meulin nodded as Nepeta walked back into the kitchen.

"We're going on our first date!" She squealed. She looked ecstatic, with a huge grin on her face, eyes closed and arms raised up high. She looked like she had won a prize or something.

Jade smiled back. "I'm happy for you, but what's he like?"

"He's very grumpy. And he's as tall as me!" Jade giggled at that. Nepeta wasn't that tall. Jade was only a little bit taller than her, but that wasn't saying much.

"What else?" Jade leaned forward. This guy sounded funny.

"Hmm… he cusses a lot, but he's a real pussy. He likes romantic comedies." Nepeta snorted. Meulin signed something, and she shook her head.

"No, he doesn't like anime and manga." Nepeta sighed softly. "But! That doesn't matter. I'll make him watch some with me."

Jade laughed, confused at what they were talking about. "What's anime?"

Both Meulin and Nepeta gasped at the same time. "You don't know what anime is?"

"No…" Jade shook her head slowly.

"What's your favorite genre in general?"

"Umm… I guess comedy?"

"Romantic comedy? Or just plain comedy?"

"Oh, I don't really care either way. As long as it's funny."

"Alright, I know exactly which one to chose." Meulin signed at Jade, probably asking her which one.

Nepeta pulled up Netflix and scrolled down to the Anime section. At the top were the most popular ones, like Pokemon and Dragon Ball. She changed it to alphabetical order, instead of most popular and scrolled to the O section. Jade didn't see the title of the one they picked, but she was soon watching whatever it was. By the end of the first episode, she was laughing so hard, her sides hurt.

"What is this?"

"Ouran High School Host Club."

"What a long name." Jade laughed. "Why's this called anime?"

"Because it was made in Japan. They were the ones that made animation so popular."

"It's so funny! Is there more?"

"Yeah, Ouran HSHC has a bunch more episodes. Has a manga too." At Jade's curious look, she added. "Manga is most often the book form of an anime. Sometime they don't have animes and animes don't have manga, though."

"Just like movies with books?"

"I guess. Now let's watch some more!"

Soon they all fell asleep watching the rest of the episodes together.

**A/R:Yes, this is fluff. I apologize, but this has to be done if I'm going to POV every character! I may give up that goal… Edit2: I'll do as many as I can, though!**


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

**A/R: I don't feel like going back to do Tavros yet… I may not ever. Just know that while in the hospital, his brother brought him his computer and he can play Sburb still. Oh, and since this is the twenty-fifth chapter, I'm going to go back and do edits, so maybe no more updates for at least a couple days. When I'm finished, you can go back and read 'em again, but you don't have to. I don't care either way.**

**==Do a time skip. **

What's the magic word?

**==Seriously? Fine, please.**

Who do you want to be?

**==Nepeta**

Nepeta woke to her alarm, and was suddenly confused. She felt all disoriented, like it was supposed to be Tuesday, but instead it was now Saturday. She knew it couldn't be though, because she remembered a new girl came into school Tuesday. And then Jade entered on Wednesday. They seemed to be getting a lot of new kids recently. She suddenly remembered what she was getting up early for and she jumped out of her bed.

She got a quick shower, dried her hair, and brushed her teeth to get ready for her date. She yawned and tugged on her hat. She thought better of it, and pulled it off. She brushed her hair out again and dressed in clothes she could move around in. Karkat had said not to dress fancy. She couldn't bear to part with her trench coat, though. It was her mothers.

Nepeta looked at her-self in the mirror. She had on a loose, but flattering, plain black short sleeve shirt and jeans that were only slightly loose. These were the kind of clothes that looked the best on her. Her head felt light without the weight of her hat and she sighed. She almost went to get it again, but at the last moment she shook her head.

The doorbell rang and Nepeta leapt into the air, racing down the stairs. She passed Jade's room, and heard movement. She must've been woken up by the doorbell. Jade woke up and came to the door, followed by Bec. Nepeta eyed the dog warily, and it stared back at her. She shivered, and looked away. There was something about that dog, but Nepeta couldn't quite place it.

She shrugged it off and went downstairs to answer the door. Jade trailed after her, looking sleepy. It felt like she always was.

"Are you really going on your date this early?"

"Yeah. I'm not sure why. He won't tell me what he's got planned."

"Well, have fun." Jade yawned and hugged Nepeta.

"Thanks." She shrugged into her trench coat and opened the door. Karkat stood in the doorway, looking slightly unsure of him-self.

Jade smiled at Karkat, and walked back upstairs.

"I'm ready!" Nepeta said, spinning so her coat swirled around her ankles.

"Was that the girl from the hospital?"

"Yeah, Jade. Meulin was ok with her living with us."

"Is Meulin here?"

"Yeah. C'mon, let's go!" Nepeta tugged on Karkat's arm.

"Alright, alright. Calm the f*** down. Here." He handed her a blindfold.

"What?"

"Take it, put around your f***ing eyes. I want it to be a f***ing surprise, ok?"

"Whatever you say, Karkitty." She giggled and tugged on his hands to make him do it for her.

"Lazy cat," He muttered, not unkindly.

"Hey! I'm not lazy!" She said, mock annoyed.

"C'mon." He took her hand. She was carefully led out to his car. He opened the door for her and set her carefully in the seat. He set the seatbelt in her hand. Then he got into the driver's side and started up the car.

"Where are we going?" Nepeta asked excitedly. She was practically bouncing in her seat.

"I told you, it's a f***ing surprise!"

Nepeta pouted; a gesture that wasn't very effective with her eyes covered. A few seconds later she was bouncing in her seat again.

"Nepeta, will you calm the f*** down."

"Why?" She asked in a babyish tone.

"Because, we're here." He stood outside her door, having already opened it.

"Whoa, how'd you get there?"

Karkat held onto her hand and helped her out.

"Can I take it off now?"

"Not yet. Wait just a f***ing minute." She heard some rustling behind her. "Alright, let's go in. Don't take it off!"

When they stepped into the building, she felt a blast of cool air. It smelled like cheap food and sweat. Maybe she shouldn't have trusted him to plan the date…

"Ok, you can take it off now." Nepeta took off the blindfold and gasped. There were black walls blocking off most of the entrance, but there was a small hole in the middle. To one side of the entrance it said Hole in the Wall Laser Tag. There were black lights everywhere, casting the entire place in an unearthly glow.

"Laser tag!" Nepeta grinned and hugged Karkat. "Thanks Karkitty!"

"C'mon, let's go get our f***ing gear."

"Please sir, if you would refrain from swearing while within the maze. There are children here." A guard said.

Karkat turned to glare at the guard but Nepeta tugged on his sleeve. "Alright. But only for you." He growled. He blushed slightly as he realized what he said. She smiled and kissed his cheek.

"Let's go!" She happily put on the vest and grabbed a gun. She practiced with it, to see how it worked. She fired a few shots at Karkat and hit the target every time. "Yay!" She cheered as the tenth shot hit him.

"It'll be harder in the maze." Another person observed.

"Probably." Nepeta said. But she didn't seem to care.

A guard came and listed off the rules, and then let them into the maze. He had said when the bell rang the game would start. Nepeta split off from the group and hid behind some obstacles. As people passed her, she fired at them, in close succession. After the trickle slowed, she got up and moved to a better position. Shooting kids all the way, and avoiding getting shot herself.

She grinned; she was good at this game. A bell rang again somewhere in the maze. That meant it was time to leave. It had gone much quicker than she had expected. She frowned, but headed back to the room. "Winner, A-6." An announcement traveled through the maze. "Please travel to the nearest exit. Follow the exit signs." Nepeta looked down at a screen on her gun. She grinned as she saw the identification number was A-6. Mini green fireworks flooded the screen and the word winner appeared.

They all headed back to the room. She spotted Karkat and nudged him, showing him her screen. He congratulated her, his mouth twitching up in an almost-smile.

"You want to play again?" Karkat asked her.

"Yeah!"

"Who was A-6?" A guard said. Nepeta held up her gun. "You beat the high score for this laser tag course."

"Cool! Can we play again?"

"Yeah… it's the same price though." The man seemed startled that she didn't care about beating the high score.

Karkat got his wallet out without a word and handed him twenty dollars.

"Whoa, maybe this should be the last time we play."

"Don't worry about it, Nep. Play as many times as you want."

"Well I only want the next one. And that's it." She nodded her head for emphasis.

Nepeta won again. And beat the high score she had just made.

"What's the best score anyone's gotten ever in the world?" Someone asked.

"I'm not sure." The person next to them said.

Nepeta laughed and set the gun back on the racks. She took off the vest and Karkat did the same.

"You want to sign the high score board?" The manager asked. He walked down a hallway and swept a curtain to the side. The first high score was at the top, and the newer ones were added at the bottom. Her scores were at the bottom two spots. She put her name in the boxes next to the number.

"You want to give us your phone number so if a challenger comes you can take it up?"

"Sure!" Nepeta smiled.

"Nepeta… I don't think you should. We should leave." Karkat looked around at the dark hallway uneasily.

"But, these nice guys only want my phone number."

"Nep. We need to go now. I have something else planned."

"It won't take that long!"

"Nepeta. Now." Karkat growled into her ear. The men glared at them dangerously, but Nepeta was still giggling.

"What's the matter, Kitty? Why can't I just have fun?" She laughed, and Karkat swept her up, bridal style. "Hey, what're you doing?" She nudged his arm. She turned serious as soon as she saw the fierce expression on his face. He was literally snarling at the two men. They had rolled up their sleeves, and she could see that they were extremely muscled. Her eyes widened in fear. What had she been thinking?

Karkat spat at them, and took off running. The men were close at their heels. "What the f***? Why are they f***ing chasing us?" He yelled.

Nepeta shivered and snuggled closer to Karkat's warmth. She knew he would protect her.

"S***, they have a f***ing gun."

"What?!" Nepeta exclaimed. How were they worth killing? None of this made sense at all. She winced as a shot rang out. Everything slowed until mere seconds seemed like hours. She peeked over Karkat's shoulders and saw a bullet speeding towards them. Without thinking, she leaned her weight forward in Karkat's grip, making him fall flat on his stomach. She wiggled out of his grip and helped him up. She didn't see the men any more.

Then she heard a muffled gun shot. A searing pain flashed through her chest. She slowly dropped her head to look at the spot it had hit her. Blood gushed out of her chest. She looked back up at Karkat and coughed up more blood. He was yelling something, but all she could hear was her heartbeat, loud in her ears. Then she felt her world spin sideways, and everything turned blacker than anything she'd ever seen.

After a while, she felt something sucking her. She didn't notice it at first, but it felt like something was slipping her into another existence. But it wasn't her body. It was something else; she wasn't sure what. She was confused, and opened her eyes. She looked down at her chest, and to her relief she didn't see any blood. However, she saw her zodiac symbol from the game, Leo. She sat up, and looked around in confusion. She took in all the trolls, humans, and carapacians walking around.

She was in the game.

**A/R: Muahahaha! I'm terrible, I know. It's so much fun, killing off characters even if it was my favorite one... It's a good thing she's still alive, in a way. I would kill off myself (in the story) before I killed off Nepeta for real. She's just too adorable. :33 *hole in the wall laser tag is not a real place. 'Tis made up, ya`ll.* Edit: I'm finished! More updates to come soon. Maybe. **


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

**A/R: Back to the present, sorry. After we fill in with what happened that week, it's back to find out what happens next! **

**==Be Rose**

Rose walked down the hallway and sat in her third period class. She had Trigonometry this period. She was pretty sure she had Kanaya in this class, but maybe she was wrong. She knew she had to have at least one class with her, and it wasn't the first two. Rose was hoping it was this one, because that would mean they had lunch together.

She sighed lightly as she pulled out a book. It was very big, almost 400 pages. She could read one of these in a day, easily. Dave sometimes made fun of her for reading such huge books, but she didn't mind his teasing. She knew he just didn't understand her, or why she loved to read so much. For some reason he didn't get anything she did. She was fine with that.

She felt a light tap on her shoulder and looked up at a girl standing over her. She had her hair cut short, and it was blonde. She had a dark tan, and was wearing a jade green dress that accentuated her slim figure.

"Are you Rose?"

"Yes. What is your name, may I ask?"

"Kanaya."

"I see. I thought we had a class together. Is this that one?"

"I believe so. So, you are the Rose I met in Sburb?"

"Yes. It's nice to meet you." Kanaya sat in the seat next to Rose and they began chatting.

"Ok class, settle down." The teacher stood and raised her hands in a calming manner. "It's time to learn."

Rose sat back in her seat and prepared to take notes. Her handwriting was neat and tidy, and she only wrote in cursive. She was an excellent note-taker, and no one could tell her otherwise.

The bell rang for lunch and Rose and Kanaya both stood up.

"Did you pack your lunch?" Kanaya asked.

"Of course. Did you?"

"Yes." Rose smiled.

Kanaya smiled back, and headed to her locker, turning her head past her when Kanaya stopped in the same hallway, many lockers in front of her.

"Do you know of anyone else in this lunch?" Kanaya asked Rose.

"Well, I have been sitting with my brother. He can be vulgar at times. As I have told you, he doesn't have the best mental health."

"We can sit by ourselves, if you want."

"It's fine by me." They went to the back of the cafeteria, and were soon joined by some other people on the other side of the table. Rose and Kanaya paid no attention to them, but instead discussed different theories for Dave's behaviors.

"He might have tendencies towards the same sex, but he won't open up to me about it. I've tried to have therapy sessions with him as much as possible, but he avoids me whenever we get home."

"Rose, why are you sitting here?" Dave said, as he sat down across from them. The people on the other side moved away, as if frightened by his presence. "And who's this?"

"Dave, this is Kanaya."

"S*** she goes to our school?"

"Yes, we just found out today." Kanaya responded.

"D*** you two are so alike. You could be twins, if you were paler." He nodded to Kanaya.

"I probably would be, however I spend most of my time outdoors."

"Interesting. What do you do outside?"

"I have a garden. Plus I have a lot of my fabrics in a shed outside so they don't get in the way when I'm inside."

"You an only child?" Dave asked, seemingly at random.

"No, I have an older sister. And recently my Mother adopted another child from Britain."

"Britain? Why there?"

"I'm not sure. But she is very loud and excitable. I'm not sure I like her all that much."

"Is she in this school?"

"She just entered today, I believe."

"I wonder what lunch she has." Rose mused.

"I'm not sure. Her name is Feferi though."

"I feel like I've heard that name somewhere before…"

"I don't know. She doesn't like to talk about where she came from."

"That's certainly strange. I'll have to talk to her later. Maybe I'll have some classes with her?"

"I doubt it. I hate to say this, but she seemed kind of dull to me."

"Dull? Are you trying to sound smart?" Dave asked.

"Well, not…smart."

"You could've just said that in the first place."

"That would've been rude."

Dave just leaned back slightly, not responding. Rose suspected he was rolling his eyes, although his shades hid it.

"Dave, I've been wondering." Kanaya started. "What is the color of your eyes?"

"Rose didn't tell you?" He didn't seem surprised that she would ask him. A lot of people did.

"No, although I did ask. She said it was something I needed to be shown."

With that, Rose leaned forward and grabbed his shades without pausing.

He blinked in the sudden flood of light.

"Hey!" The people next to him looked over at his exclamation. Normally nothing perturbs Dave. Their jaws dropped at the site of his red eyes. He glanced over at them and then glared at Rose, his mouth still in a straight line.

Rose smiled slightly.

"Hmmm. Interesting color." Kanaya remarked.

"Great. Now can I have my glasses back?" Dave was still glaring at Rose and the people next to them started whispering.

"Dave, it's better for you if you leave them off."

"Thanks for the sisterly advice. I'll keep it in mind. Now can I have them back?"

Sighing, Rose gave them back to Dave.

"You know, you really shouldn't hide those eyes. Red is not a bad color. In fact, it compliments your complexion. I believe a red suit would look wonderful on you."

"Thanks." He said sarcastically. He turned towards the others, and pulled down his shades so they could see his eyes and know he was serious. "You better not tell anyone what color my eyes are."

"Dave… don't threaten them." She turned to them. "Don't worry; he's not the one you need to worry about." She grinned slightly.

"Oh, we're so scared!" A smarta** guy said.

"You should be." Dave remarked.

They whispered amongst themselves for a minute or two.

"All right, we'll tell no one. If you tell us why you don't want anyone to know their color." The smarta** guy apparently made the groups demands for them.

"Isn't it obvious?" Dave said.

"Dave has problems." Rose said at the same time.

"Excuse me? I have problems?"

"Yes. You think people will think your evil because of your red eyes. I believe that is a problem."

"I'm not the one that thinks passive-aggressive battles are fun."

"And I'm not the one that is obsessed with irony." Rose raised her voice slightly. "Now, can we all just get along like good little children?"

"Rose…" Kanaya said hesitantly.

"Just give me a minute. Dave is acting like a child. I may have problems, but at least I admit them. The first step to getting better is always admitting there's a problem."

"But what if it isn't a problem? What if everyone's fine with it?"

"Obviously not everyone's fine with it!" Rose exclaimed.

"Rose…" Kanaya said a little louder, nudging her.

"What?" She snapped.

Kanaya flinched back, but proceeded to show her the empty cafeteria behind them. "The bell rang awhile ago, we're late to class." There were a few lunch monitors standing behind them, looking like they were going to get them in trouble.

"Every one of you has detention after school today. Now get to class." The assistant principal said, seemingly on the brink of yelling.

They all nodded and looked down. Rose cursed under her breath; this would look bad on her permanent record.

"You ok, Rose?" Kanaya asked, concerned, as they walked into the classroom and sat down.

"I suspect you girls already got detention?" The teacher asked. When they nodded, she continued her lesson.

"I'm fine." She whispered back.

After that they were both silent for the rest of the class.

"Are you sure you're ok?" Kanaya asked Rose at the end of class.

"Yes, Kanaya, I'm sorry I snapped at you earlier. Dave can be… infuriating sometimes."

"It's alright." Kanaya smiled genuinely.

"Such a pretty smile." Rose whispered as she walked to her next class. She was even prettier than she was in the game. Rose had never really been interested in anyone seriously. Most guys tended to stay away from her, and found her creepy. And girls… well not many people in her town approved of homosexuals. Maybe Kanaya was different. Rose sure hoped she was.

**A/R: More fluff! Rose and Kanaya are so cute together; I hope that ship never sinks! Oh, and I finally finished editing the story. It should be better now. At least better than it was.**


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

**A/R: Moving right along, I hate my internet, and the plot begins to thicken (-ish). **

**==Be Dave**

Sometimes Rose could be annoying. Very annoying. At least the day was almost over, and he could go home. Thank god.

He took note of the clock. Just a couple more minutes… now just one… a few more seconds…and the bell rang. Dave slowly stood up, walking casually to his locker and then out to his car. He swirled his keys around his finger and had his other hand in his pocket.

"Hey coolkid." A voice said in his ear. Dave guessed she was trying to break his façade. But she couldn't, because Bro had basically trained it out of him with all the puppets in unexpected places.

"Hey Terezi. Sup."

"Ugh, why can't I scare you?" She sounded frustrated.

He just shrugged. "Where's your shouty friend?"

"Karkat? I'm not sure. Why?"

"Well, it's a little complicated."

"What, you don't want to bother with an explanation? If you do I'll get him to come over here."

"Alright, deal. Well, Rose's friend Kanaya found out that she was in the same group in Sburb as Karkat."

"Hey, I'm in Karkat's group too."

"Maybe you could help us then. Let me finish. Apparently, Karkat knows the other two kids in our group and where to find them."

"I haven't talked to any humans in the game. I know Karkat has, but I wouldn't know where to find who you're looking for. I'll go get him."

Dave watched as Terezi walked off, dodging pedestrians and cars alike. He smirked.

"Strider. Are we going to leave, or are you just going to stand there checking out your girlfriend?" Rose said. She was glaring at him. Yup, still mad.

"I'm not checking her out, and she's not my girlfriend. She's helping us get Karkat."

"Really?" Rose stood up straight. Dave eyed the spot she was leaning up against. He'd have to clean that when he got home. "…I'm sorry, Dave. For what I said at lunch."

"Rose…"

"No, I am. I shouldn't have said that in front of everyone. It was stupid of me. And I'm sorry." Dave nodded

"I forgive you." Rose leaned forward and hugged Dave.

Someone made a catcall and Dave struggled out of it.

D*** it. Why'd you have to do that?" He turned around to see Terezi whistling along. Trailing behind her was an angry looking Karkat. Behind him was the girl they had seen at his house, Nepeta? Maybe. And then another guy was behind her. Dave had seen him around, but never really talked to him.

"What the f*** Terezi? Why would I want to f***ing talk to f***ing Dave?"

"Sup, man. It's about Sburb."

"What?" He practically growled.

"We need your help. We were told you know the other two humans in our group?"

"Why would I know that?"

Dave and Rose exchanged glances. "Well, that girl did say…"

"What girl?" Nepeta spoke up.

"She kept using 8's whenever she talked."

"That would be Vriska." Karkat facepalmed. "Of course she would tell you that. She's a b****."

"She sounded so sure…."

"We're looking for one with a ghost, or something, and one with an atom."

"That's John! He's the ghost!" Nepeta exclaimed. She turned to her large friend. "Equius you should really play this game too. It's so much fun!"

"So you do know who they are?"

"Yeah, I'll you give his f***ing phone number." He muttered under his breath about something as he took out his cell phone. Dave quickly got out his. He typed it as Karkat read it off.

"And… his name's John?" Dave asked.

"Yeah. John Egbert. Bye."

"Thanks, man."

"Your f***ing welcome." He muttered as he turned away.

"Equius, c'mon. You still haven't met Jade yet! Did you know she plays Sburb too?" Their voices faded as they walked away.

Dave hopped into the driver's seat and waited for Rose to climb in.

"Let's go." He said as he revved the engine. He turned on the radio, switched it to CD mode and listened to some of his best tracks before settling on one.

They drove off, speeding through the roads. Dave tossed Rose his cell phone.

"You want to text him?"

"At least you don't text and drive." She deadpanned.

Dave just shook his head, grinning slightly.

"What do you want me to say?"

"That we got his number from Karkat, and that we might be in the same group as him."

"Ok."

Dave waited anxiously as he drove towards their home. They were almost there.

"He responded. He says his username is ectoBiologist."

"Tell him ours."

"Ok. What was yours again?"

"turntechGodhead."

"Where's the capital?"

"The G."

And the next thing they knew, they were in the driveway and getting out of the car.

"Phone?" Dave held out his hand. Rose threw it and he caught it easily. Just as it buzzed with a response.

_"What are your symbols?"_

_"Mine's a record, Rose's is a squid." _

He sent the message and scrolled up to read the previous messages. They looked ok, like something he would say. It didn't mention their names at all though.

"_What's your name?"_

_"Dave. Dave Strider. The one with the squid symbol is Rose Lalonde. Karkat already told us your name's John Egbert."_

_"And he was complaining about me… Do you know the other person in our group?"_

_"No, he didn't mention the fourth one."_

_"Her name's Jade. I don't know her last name. Her username is gardenGnostic." _

_"We're going on Sburb now. Are you online yet?"_

_"Yeah, just a second." _

Dave slid his phone into his pocket and dumped his backpack on the floor. This time he stuck it inside his room. He didn't want to get yelled at again. He slid the CD into the computer and waited for it to load. Once it finished loading and he logged on, he typed John's username into the chat finder. Instead of clicking pester, he just clicked view. An image came up and showed a boy with short black hair, blue eyes and a green slime ghost thing on his shirt. He nodded appreciatively, and then clicked pester.

**Are you sure you want to pester ectoBiologist? Yes / No**

He clicked yes and then waited for the screen to appear.

EB: are you dave?

TG: what, no hello?

EB: fine, hi. Are you dave?

TG: No, I'm f***ing rose. of course I'm dave.

EB: I just wanted to make sure, jesus.

TG: hahdjhfb

EB: what…?

TG: jesus CHRIST! Lalonde, you better get back here!

EB: ummm…

EB: what's going on?

EB: dave?

EB: where'd you go?

TG: sorry man. My sister felt like taking my f***ing coffee.

Dave had accidentally left it in his locker all day, but hey. Coffee was coffee.

TG: she gave it back when she realized it was cold.

EB: wow, ok. So, do you want to teleport to me?

TG: sure thing. I will teleport to you so hard, you won't even know what's going-

TG: I apologize on the behalf of my brother. He tends to get off topic.

"Lalonde!" Dave exclaimed as she suddenly swiped his keyboard from him. "Fine I'll go use your account." He ran over to her room and quickly set up the game. He guessed her password correctly; she hadn't changed it in forever.

**-tentacleTherapist joined the chat—**

TG: You actually did it. I didn't believe you would.

TT: yeah, well you thought wrong.

EB: wait, you two are siblings? But you have different last names…

TT: long story.

TG: It's because our mother kept her maiden name, while our older brother decided to take care of Dave on his own. And took our father's last name.

EB: then why do you live together?

TT: because Roxy convinced us to move in. Bro wasn't doing so well with his DJing gigs.

TT: which is bulls***. Bro is the best f***ing DJ ever.

TG: If you say so.

TT: Shut up, you've never seen him in action.

EB: are you guys going to transport to me or not?

TT: yeah, no problem, man.

Dave clicked transport and in the blink of an eye, he was in front of the kid.

TT: sup

EB: you really are using each other's accounts…

TT: you thought we weren't serious?

Rose appeared next to him.

TG: I'm here. Dave, I propose a truce. May we switch back to our own computers?

TT: sure, fine by me.

Dave stood and walked over to his room. To his surprise she wasn't there anymore. Actually he was kind of expecting it. You always had to expect the unexpected with Rose.

TT: Alright, I'm back.

TG: same here.

TG: I see a blinking light.

TT: I see it too.

Dave clicked the light and up popped the screen with the gray symbols on it. The ghost symbol was now filled in with lime green.

TG: what about the other person?

EB: I don't think she's online right now.

TT: That's strange. I felt like she would be.

EB: she's not showing up on my list as online.

TT: I get the feeling that she's here, though.

TG: another one of your "feelings?" I wish they were more accurate.

TT: Don't worry Dave, they're accurate enough.

EB: Do you guys live in the same town as Karkat?

TG: He lives right across from us.

EB: awesome! Then I'm in the same town as you!

TG: maybe we can meet up sometime.

TT: Maybe another time, John.

EB: oh, ok.

TT: Dave, is Mother awake?

TG: you want me to check?

TT: No, we need to get off the game either way.

TG: another feeling?

TT: Yes. Come on.

EB: uh, bye I guess.

TT: Good bye.

TG: bye.

Dave logged off and stepped out of the room to find Rose already standing there. She had a horrified look on her face.

"What..?"

"It's Mother. She…"

"What?!" He practically shouted.

"She's not breathing. I think she drank too much."

**A/R: Man I'm on a roll today… I feel bad for doing this, but before it gets better, it'll get worse. Much, much worse. And bluh, my internet hasn't come on all day. Thankfully it finally came on. **


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28**

**A/R: I got my computer up for ten minutes the other day. Woo hoo. At least I got to read the update… Did you know that at the library you can't go on fanfiction 'cause it's "R-rated?" You can go on that one page where you edit your profile and junk, but you aren't allowed to actually read stories. Bluh. **

**==Be Rose**

Rose ran to Mother's room as Dave followed behind. She checked her pulse, and it was beating erratically. At least it was still there.

"Dave, call 911!"

He nodded and hurried to the phone. He picked it up, dialed and she barely heard his voice as he talked to the responder. She was concentrating on trying to dredge up memories of a CPR class she had taken a couple of years ago.

She pumped on her chest and breathed into her mouth, hoping it would work. She couldn't quote remember how many times you were supposed to pump the chest. It was probably the fact that she was panicking that caused her to not be able to remember how to do it.

No matter how rationally she was looking at her panic, it did nothing to crush it, as she had been hoping. She sat back and breathed heavily. She just sat there as she heard piercing sirens and saw men come in, and take her away. Dave came over, and shook her shoulder.

"C'mon we can follow after them."

Rose nodded dimly. She got up and walked robotically to Dave's car. He started it up, for once not bothering to put on his stupid CD mixes.

They raced after the ambulance, running through red lights, and Dave sped more than usual as he attempted to keep up with the ambulance.

As they pulled up to the hospital, they saw the ambulance had made it there before them. Rose hurried out of the car, finally coming to her senses.

They ran into the building without glancing back.

"Our mother is in the Emergency Room." Rose shouted desperately at the receptionist.

"You aren't allowed to visit in there, I apologize. You can wait over there, or in the waiting room near the ER."

Rose shook her head and sat down in an uncomfortable chair. She glanced at the cheerful magazines, but didn't pick any up. She would just have to trust the Doctors to save Mother.

Dave didn't pick up any either, instead he closed his eyes behind his signature shades. Rose doubted he was sleeping, she knew she couldn't if she tried. He was calmer than her, probably because she had known Mother all her life unlike him.

She stared at a poster on the wall blankly. People moved in and out of the building, at random.

She hadn't realized an entire night had passed until a light shone on her eyes. She glanced at the window on one of the walls, glaring at it.

She heard murmurs of voices out in the hallway. Slowly she got up and went out into the lobby. The receptionist was someone different from yesterday.

"Is there any way we could find out what happened to our mother?" She asked, sleepily.

"What is her full name?"

"Roxy Lalonde."

"Let's see… It says she's still in critical condition. Sorry, dear."

"It's fine." She smiled faintly and slowly walked back to the waiting room.

She tripped over something, probably because she wasn't really paying attention to her surroundings.

She attempted to focus, and saw that she had tripped over some_one _not some_thing. _

"I'm sorry." She murmured to the boy in a nurse's outfit.

"It's alright." He stood up. "Just tying my shoe." He smiled brightly. How he could smile like that in a place like this, she could only wonder.

"Excuse me." She said quietly as she walked past him. She sat down next to Dave again.

"Are you ok?" The boy wouldn't leave her alone. It seemed he had followed after her.

"Yes, fine." She said blankly. Dave jumped in his seat, his glasses almost falling off the bridge of his nose.

"Woah, morning already?" He sat up, adjusting his glasses.

Rose glanced over at him. "Yes, it seems so." She felt disconnected from reality, not really experiencing anything.

"Wait… are you Dave and Rose?"

Rose snapped into focus, studying the boy's features. He looked a lot like the kid they had met in the game. What was his name again…John?

"Sup, man." Dave gave a faint smile to him.

"Are you John?" She asked him hastily.

"Yes." He smiled and gestured to his name badge.

"Could you tell us how our mother is doing?"

"I don't know if I'm allowed to…where is she?"

"In the ER."

"Wow, um. I'm pretty sure I'm not allowed back there. Sorry."

"Mr. Egbert? You're needed in Shock Trauma." The receptionist called.

"Sorry guys. I'll see what I can do though." John smiled and waved.

Rose just stared after him, numbness overcoming her once more. Dave just moved two fingers in a small wave. It looked almost like a salute.

**==Time jump?**

To when?

==**To…the next day?**

Alright, but I chose who you are.

Karkat frowned at the screen.

CG: LOOK, WE NEED TO ALL MEET UP. AT THE SAME F***ING TIME.

TA: calm your tiit2 KK. We'll meet up twoday, alriight?

CG: FINE. WHEN?

TA: riight now. teleport two me.

Karkat clicked teleport on Sollux's icon and a second later he appeared in front of him. Already there were a few other trolls gathered nearby.

**-carcinoGeneticist joined the log—**

CG: SO, WHO'S HERE?

TA: we're goiing to have everyone say theiir name in a 2econd.

CG: F*** THAT. WHY WOULD I DO THAT?

TA: 2o we all know who everyone ii2. Be2ide2 KK, 2o far, we've all liived iin the same town.

CG: THAT DOESN'T MEAN I WANT EVERYONE KNOWING MY F***ING NAME.

TA: fiine, but everyone el2e wiill be 2aying theiir name.

CG: I DON'T GIVE A F***.

TA: that'2 alriight.

**-arsenicCatnip joined the chat- **

AC: :33 hi karkitty!

CG: NEPETA, YOU BETTER NOT TELL ANYONE MY NAME AGAIN.

AC: :33 can I call mew KK like sollux?

CG: F***, FINE.

AC: :33 yay!

**-aracnidsGrip joined the chat- **

AG: is this the chat we're supposed to enter?

TA: ye2.

**-gallowsCallibrator joined the chat—**

CG: F***

GC: SOM3TH1NG WRONG? :?

**-terminallyCapricious joined the chat—**

TC: hEy BeSt FrIeNd!

TC: HoNk :o)

CG: OF F***ING COURSE. IS EVERYONE HERE TO TORTURE ME?

AG: now whyyyyyyyy would we 8e here for that?

**-adiosToreador joined the chat—**

AT: uH, aM I IN THE, uH, rIGHT PLACE?

AG: no, you just joined compleeeeeeeetely the wrong chat. :::;)

AT: aRE YOU, uH, sURE?

**-apocalypseArisen joined the chat—**

AA: please pay n0 mind t0 her. She is just attempting t0 c0nfuse y0u.

AT: oH, uH THANKS.

AG: thanks so much. You ruined my fun ::::(

**-grimAuxiliatrix joined the chat—**

GA: I Presume This Is The Correct Chat.

CG: YES. IS THIS EVERYONE YET?

TA: je2u2 KK, be patiient. There'2 a couple more.

**-cuttlefishCuller joined the chat—**

CC: glub! ) (ello –EV—ERYON—E!

**-caligulasAquarium joined the chat—**

TA: that2 everyone.

CG: SHOULDN'T THERE BE ONE MORE?

TA: we've only found 11 out of 12 2o far, KK.

CG: GREAT, F***ING GREAT.

TA: everyone, plea2e type your fiir2t name.

TA: 2ollux.

AC: :33 I'm nepeta!

AG: Vriska

AA: Aradia

GA: Kanaya.

AT: iT'S, uH, tAVROS.

GC: T3R3Z1

TC: My NaMe'S gAmZeE mOtHeRf***eRs

CA: the name's Eridan, not like any of you need to know that.

CC: don't mind ) (im, ) (e's just being cranky. I'm Feferi!

CG: F*** IT, I'M KARKAT.

AC: :33 I thought mew weren't going to say your name?

CG: WELL I CHANED MY F***ING MIND, ALRIGHT?

TA: doe2 anyone know where we can fiind the la2t member?

CG: IF WE DID, HE/ SHE WOULD BE HERE ALREADY.

AA: Karkat is c0rrect. The 0nly way t0 find the last pers0n is by finding him/her.

AC: :33 what if I convince one of my furriends to join? Since he's in the same town as the rest of us, he might be in our group.

TA: II hate to 2ay iit, but that would be very liikely.

AC: :33 I'll be right back!

AC: :33 ok he agr33d!

CG: F***, THAT WAS FAST.

AC: :33 yeah, I've b33n trying to get him to join for a while so not really.

AG: how long do we have to w8?

**-centuarsTesticle joined the chat—**

CG: WHAT KIND OF F***ING USERNAME IS THAT?

CT: Please apologize for you 100d language.

CG: WHAT THE F***? WHY WOULD I?

AC: :33 this is equihis!

CT: That is not the correct spelling, Nepeta. It is Equius.

AC: :33 sorry…

AC: :33 mew should teleport to us.

CT: alright. I will be there momentarily.

Karkat watched as the creepy kid he had met the other day appear next to Nepeta. He had the sign of Sagittarius on his shirt, and was wearing an outfit similar to what he wore ordinarily to school.

CG: F*** YOU'RE IN OUR GROUP.

AC: :33 yay!

A message flashed up on Karkat's screen.

**First Objective Complete**

He waited for another screen, maybe having a second objective. Nothing appeared.

CG: WHAT THE F***? SHOULDN'T THERE BE SOMETHING MORE?

AG: Maybe that's all there is to the game. How 8oring…..

TA: that can't be riight. Why make a game wiith only one goal?

CG: IF THIS IS ALL IT IS, I'M LEAVING.

TA: waiit just one minute.

A new box suddenly faded in. It was white text on a green background.

**Congratulations! You are one of the few sessions chosen to participate in the next objective! Please wait a few days for the rest of the chosen groups to complete the First Objective. **

"What the f***…?"

**A/R: Just so you know, this is still in the past. That's about all I have to say. For the first part, it was Wednesday, and then when it switched to Karkat it was Thursday. **


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29**

**A/R: Still in the past, sorry. Man… if Hussie doesn't update today I think I'm gonna cry. Literally. Subject change: some of my friends on facebook were talking about shipping restaurants…. Man, I don't even… Apparently it's something on tumblr. Which I'm not on, because I don't blog. Or whatever it is you do on that site.**

**==Be John**

John had to ask for special permission to see Rose's and Dave's mom.

It had been hard to convince his boss to let him see her. He had to basically beg, but in the end she gave her ok. It was mostly because she had no idea if the woman was going to live or not. The outlook was pretty bleak.

John went back to find Rose and Dave. Rose was still staring blankly at the wall again. To be honest it kind of freaked him out. He actually would've preferred it if she had broken down, sobbing. With her like this, he didn't know what to say. Her movements were almost robotic, and there was no emotion in her voice when she talked. It was like talking to a zombie.

"Hey, they said I could take you back. They just put her in a separate room, but there are a couple of other people in the same one."

"It's fine, man." Dave responded. His reaction to his mother's almost death…stunned John. He glanced at his perfectly stoic face. It was like he didn't even care. He didn't know Dave's past, but he sure didn't think this was how normal people reacted to their mother almost dying. He shook his head and led them back into a hallway near their mother's room.

"So John, what do you do when you work here?" Dave asked nonchalantly.

"Well, my main job is to interpret for the hearing impaired. I also do the work of a normal nurse when I'm not needed."

"Nice. You know sign language?"

"Yeah. How else would I interpret?"

"You could do f***ing charades. Or maybe do an interpretive dance."

"I'm sure they would understand that." John laughed.

"Will you two please stop joking around?" Rose asked quietly. The two of them sobered up at her comment, John in particular.

"Sorry." He looked down at the ground. He then looked back up and opened the door in front of them, leading them into the room.

"Here you go."

He watched as Rose stood there, just staring at her mother with her hands folded.

He glanced at Dave. And then back at their mother. She was on oxygen, and her heart rate looked steady, but she was still in a coma. There were no external injuries, except her fingers looked like they were tinged blue. John wondered if that was normal.

"At least she's still alive." Rose whispered.

"She's probably not going to wake up any time soon. Sorry." John spoke up. "I have to go…"

"Good bye." Rose said.

"Bye." He frowned slightly and then left the room. He felt bad leaving them, but there was really nothing he could do.

He headed off to help with the other patients.

**==Be Nepeta **

Nepeta was at Terezi's house, after school. She was looking through some of Terezi's artwork. They were all amazing, some of them were less abstract then others. She was amazed at the amount of detail she got right in some of them.

"Can I do this one?" She pointed towards a purple and gray one. It was the perfect one to do, for what she wanted. The painting didn't really seem to match up with Terezi's personality, but it was beautiful.

"Sure." Terezi shrugged. "It's not my favorite though."

"What do you envision what you draw?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, what do you feel when you draw. I want to capture that in the painting."

"Hmm… I guess I say I feel as though I'm painting on air. Since I can't really see the canvas, it's almost as if I'm bringing something to life. Also, since I'm concentrating on the painting, I don't smell anything from my surroundings. I can only sense the different paints that I'm using and the ones already on the canvas."

"Alright, sounds good to me! I'll get started on a rough as soon as possible."

"Are you leaving now?"

"Yeah, I gotta get brainstorming. I'll let you know when I want to start sketching you."

"Alright, I'll wait. And as for you, I know exactly what I want to do. You should come over sometime this weekend so I can start drawing you."

"Maybe Sunday?"

"Sure, that's fine."

"Ok, see you then!" Nepeta waved to Terezi as she walked out the door. Her house wasn't all that far, so she was walking. As she walked, her phone buzzed. She checked and saw it was Karkat.

"HEY, I MADE PLANS FOR TOMORROW. I'LL PICK YOU UP AT 8 F***ING AM OK?"

":33 sure, that's fine. what are we doing?"

"I CAN'T F***ING TELL YOU, IT'S A F***ING SURPRISE."

":33 aw…well I'll s33 you then, either way."

"YEAH. BYE."

":33 bye!"

Nepeta pocketed her phone and walked the rest of the way home in silence. Well, not completely. She started humming one of her favorite songs, iNSaNiTY. She liked the English translation too, but to her the Japanese was always better.

She knew all the words, but it wasn't easy to randomly start spouting lyrics to a song. She needed the song as a background, or she wouldn't know where to start.

She sighed, and walked up her driveway. She didn't notice the car parked across the street, with its two occupants. Or how their discussion stopped as soon as she came into view.

"That's her." One of them whispered.

"Shh! Don't you remember what they said? She has more sensitive hearing than us. They all do." The other said as quietly as he could.

"Oh yeah, they did say that." He said in a normal voice.

"Shush!"

Nepeta glanced up and looked around. She thought she had heard something, but she wasn't sure what. Her gaze glanced over the car, not giving it a second thought.

"See? She heard you!"

She shrugged and walked in the door.

"Why can't we just get her now?" The other one said as soon as she was gone from view.

"Too many witnesses. We have to wait until she's relatively alone."

"Do we really have to wait here all night?"

"Yes, how else are we going to catch her alone?"

"I don't know, we could set up a video camera or something."

The smarter guy rolled his eyes. "That wouldn't be a bad idea, if we had a camera."

"Oh yeah."

"Now be quiet, I have a feeling it's going to be a long night and I don't want you blabbing on in my ear."

"Alright, alright," The other guy said, waving him off.

**A/R: This is the last chapter before we return to the present! Yay! First part is on Thursday, second part on Friday. **


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30**

**A/R: I've been getting comments that the timeline is confusing… I'm so sorry! I'll explain it in more detail later, hopefully. Basically, Nepeta was killed on Saturday and all the chapters from then have been Wednesday-Friday. As in, like the days leading up to the Saturday she was killed. Does that make sense? I really hope it does… If not, I'll try to explain more later… Please tell me if you're still confused! This chapter is back up to the present. Basically, it's Karkat's point of view of Nepeta's death.**

**==Be Karkat**

Karkat screamed Nepeta's name as she fell. He knew there was nothing he could do, he was utterly helpless. But still he held her in his arms. He wasn't sure if she knew he was there or not, but as her last breath floated into the air, he was there.

His scream tore through to the sky. What was he supposed to do now? Call the police? He didn't even know why those two were chasing after them. It seemed pointless to try to call them. What could they do? The men were gone. He'd probably never see them again.

He let sobs wrack his body as he bent over her bleeding body. Why? Why her? Why couldn't it have been him? He watched the blood seeping out of her body.

"F*** it. I'm calling the police." He slowly got out his phone and dialed 911.

After that was a blur, people coming and going, and asking him questions. He didn't know what to do. His friends tip toed around him, like he was a fragile baby.

"Karkat the funeral is tomorrow." He didn't look up to see who was talking to him. Just stared at the ground. "Are you going?"

He nodded slowly. A little while later his phone buzzed and he pulled it out. It was Sollux.

"Karkat, you may want to thee thith. Go on the game."

"Why would I?"

"Jutht do it!"

Karkat grumbled a little under his breath, but he stood up and went upstairs to his room. He sat down at his computer and waited for it to fully turn on. He stared at the screen, while impatiently circling the mouse around and clicking a few times. Finally it came up and he logged into Sburb.

He messaged Sollux to see what his problem was.

CG: WHAT DID YOU WANT ME TO F***ING SEE?

TA: ju2t waiit for her to me22age you. you'll 2ee 2oon enough.

CG: FINE.

Karkat stared at the screen, bored out of his mind. Suddenly someone messaged him.

**arsenicCatnip wants to troll you. Accept? Yes / No **

He stared at the message in shock. Who would do this? It was like someone was mocking him.

AC: :33 hi karkitty!

CG: WHAT THE F***. WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU? WHY THE HELL ARE YOU IMPERSONATING NEPETA?

AC: :33 I'm not impurrsonating anyone! I _am_ Nepeta.

CG: YEAH, RIGHT! SHE DIED RIGHT IN FRONT OF MY F***ING EYES, BASTARD.

AC: :33 if you're just going to insult me fur trying to talk to you, then I'll leave! But I feel bad without leaving mew without an explanation.

CG: I'M WAITING.

AC: :33 I'm not sure what happened, really. One moment I was with you in the str33t and the next I was somehow in the game! I don't know how or why, but I'm stuck inside.

CG: LIKE I BELIEVE THAT.

AC: :33 wait! Aradia is the same way! She got sucked into the game too!

Karkat frowned. Aradia, he had seen her. She told him that she had been sucked into the game too, and she looked kind of like a ghost, so he had sort of believed her. Besides, she always on whenever he got on.

CG: THEN YOU'RE A GHOST INSIDE THE GAME?

AC: :33 I think so.

CG: DO YOU HAVE ANY PROOF?

AC: :33 purroof? I'm not sure how I could purroove something like that.

CG: WELL UNTIL YOU DO, YOU AREN'T NEPETA.

AC: :33 karkitty…

Suddenly a figure appeared on the edge of the screen. It was Nepeta's troll form. She suddenly sprinted and tackle-pounced Karkat's character. She curled up on his chest and purred.

"Nepeta?" He whispered. If this was an imposter, he/she were pretty good at pretending to be Nepeta. She sat up, and got off his character. Her movements seemed a lot more fluid than his. Like she was more in control of her character than him. Like she was in the game. No! I couldn't be her. She was…gone. He couldn't even think the word. He wouldn't.

But, he would rather her be alive in the game than her being gone out here. He sighed and put his head in his hands. What was he supposed to do? How could he continue living his life without bright little Nepeta following him around everywhere? He looked back up at the screen. She tilted her head to the side in curiosity, looking straight at him.

AC: :33 is something wrong?

CG: IT'S NOTHING.

AC: :33 Karkitty! Don't start!

CG: I TOLD YOU IT'S NOTHING!

AC: :33 ok.

The Nepeta on the screen visibly deflated. She curled up on herself, sinking down to sit on the ground.

Karkat couldn't bear to watch her like that, even if she was a fake. She still looked like her, and he couldn't look at her with that expression on her face. He quickly hit the off button on his monitor and sat back in his seat.

He chewed on his thumbnail, wondering whether he should pour out his worries on her. Part of him said that he should, it would be good for him. However, another part held him back. That part told him she could still be a phony, and that she wouldn't care anyways. It would be weakness to expose him-self so much. He couldn't do it, even if he wanted to.

He sat back up and turned the monitor back on. Nepeta was gone, but the game still said that she was online. Of course, if she was in the game, she could never truly log off if what she said was true.

He clicked to pester her, but he was denied. He blinked in surprise. He didn't think she wouldn't accept to chat with him. He wondered what was going on. He frowned as he turned off the computer, after logging out.

He stood up slowly and turned around to face a window. He stared out, thinking to himself. If this was Nepeta, then who were those guys? Why had they killed Nepeta, and tried to kill him? He would probably never know the answer to those questions. The police were trying to figure it out as well, but there were no clues left behind. No way to tell who had done it. Those two people had dropped off the face of the earth, it felt like. There was nothing he or anyone could do to get revenge.

He clenched his fists and closed his eyes. He remembered her smile, almost cat-like. Everything about her was cat-like, really. His fists grew tighter. He hated that he had to think about her in past tense—_was_ instead of _is_. A small tear dripped from the corner of his eye. He reached up to wipe it away, but held himself back. Even if there was nothing he could do to get Nepeta back, he could at least let her be remembered through his tears.

He stared into the distance, watching as the sun set, tears dripping from his face. He didn't make a sound. His hands loosened and hugged himself. He felt utter despair, but he still had to go to school like everything was normal. The sun still set, even without Nepeta. And it would rise tomorrow, never again shining on her face.

Little did he know, that somewhere else in the city, another gunshot was heard ringing out. This time, a young boy was killed. The victim had been identified, and when his brother arrived on the scene, he went berserk. Only his girlfriend, who was with him, could calm him down.

"Tuna, you're ok, it's going to be fine." The girl said as she cried with her boyfriend.

"No… it's not. He'll- I'll never see him again, Tulip!" He yelled the last part, screaming through his sobs.

"Shhh." Latula said as she comforted Mituna. "I'll help you."

**A/R: Ok, I know, I know. I'm a terrible person. I'm sorry, but I already planned it out, and this is the only way I know how to do the story. If I change it, it will be a lot worse. Plus, I can't do fluff stories. I hate writing stories without a plot line, it bothers me. Oh, and sorry for the lateness of the chapter. I don't like doing sadstuck, and this was really hard for me to write. **


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31**

**==Bee Sollux**

Sollux was walking back to his house from his new friend Feferi's house. They had instantly become good friends the moment they met. They talked about the most random things, she told him a little of her isolated childhood in Britain, and he told her of his disabled older brother. It really wasn't Mituna's fault. He just accidentally ate some stuff he wasn't supposed to when he was a kid. Their father wasn't the most responsible, had had left some drugs out in the open. Mituna had thought it was candy or something, so he ate some of it. He'd been messed up ever since. At least he wasn't addicted to the stuff.

It didn't change the fact that Sollux loved him. Although their dad was never home, Mituna tried to take care of Sollux. In reality it was Sollux taking care of Mituna.

At least he had gotten engaged to a girl that loved him. She had met him before the drug incident, but Mituna had no memory of it. Somehow, the drugs had made him forget. Mituna had actually taught Latula how to skateboard, but he couldn't anymore. Latula was trying to find a way to re-teach him, as well as help him not spaz out as often. It was hard work, but he had definitely improved under her care.

Sollux smiled slightly. She was nice to him, but she lavished her attention on Mituna. She was never far from his side, and she was the only one that could calm him down. Well, besides his best friend Kurloz. Even though he didn't treat his girlfriends well, he would never do anything to hurt his friends. Sollux made sure of it.

He was thinking about the things Fef had told him when suddenly a car pulled up next to him. He glanced over at it, and did a double take as he saw the man inside pointing a gun at him. He heard the loud bang of the gun, but felt no pain as the bullet traveled through him. He didn't even remember falling until he realized his face was against pavement. Distantly, he heard the car screeching across the road as it drove away from him. His vision grew blurry, and still he felt no pain. Then suddenly, it was all dark.

It felt like he was floating in space, there was darkness everywhere. It was peaceful, in a strange way. The peace didn't last long, as he felt a tugging sensation. It disturbed him, and he didn't like it at all. He tried to move away from it, but it was coming from all around. He couldn't escape from it, no matter how hard he tried.

It stopped and he opened up his eyes. He had eyes again? He felt weird and looked down. He had one black shoe and one white shoe. He blinked in surprise and looked up. How was he here?

He knew he was in the game almost immediately, and he reached up to feel his horns. Yup, there they were. He looked around at the square. It was filled with people, but it was eerily silent. He suddenly got pestered. It was like a loud ding in his forehead. The familiar words asking him whether to accept the chat request appeared in front of his eyes. He wondered how to click accept, and suddenly he was viewing a screen with a chat message in front of him. He could still see the people behind it, but if he concentrated, he could think words and they would appear.

AA: I see y0u have been killed as well n0w.

TA: yeah, iit kiind of 2uck2. What do you do all day?

AA: I expl0re the regi0ns in this game. When I first g0t here it t00k me a while t0 figure 0ut h0w t0 interact with my surr0undings.

TA: what'2 your name agaiin? There'2 2o many people that II've forgotten who'2 who.

AA: My name is Aradia Megid0.

TA: waiit, aradiia?

AA: Yes. And y0ur name is S0llux, c0rrect?

TA: waiit! Are you…

AA: The Aradia fr0m y0ur childh00d, the 0ne that y0u killed?

TA: …

AA: yes I am.

TA: look, II diidn't mean two…

AA: I kn0w y0ur acti0ns were influenced by Vriska. I have already f0rgiven her, as well as y0u.

AA: can y0u telep0rt t0 me?

TA: 2ure.

Sollux frowned as he attempted to call up Aradia's username in his mind.

AA: and S0llux, think: find apocalypseArisen.

TA: thank2 AA.

He was surprised he that he used his old nickname for her. He felt uncertainty the moment it appeared, but she didn't say anything about it.

He concentrated on what she told him and her username appeared in front of him. He blinked towards it and the options appeared. As soon as his thoughts moved towards thinking about teleporting, he disappeared.

It was a strange sensation, almost like a small shock. It didn't hurt, just felt weird. The next instant he was in front of Aradia. She was floating just above the ground and had strange white eyes. Her skirt was torn in several places and her shirt had a red Aries symbol on it. Her horns curved over themselves elegantly and her hair was long and wavy. It hung almost to the ground. She had on lipstick and eyelashes the same color as her symbol. She was every bit as beautiful as when he first met her, maybe even more so. He felt heat rise to his cheeks and he looked at the ground.

He wondered if they could talk out loud, or if they could only talk in the chats. He knew he was trying to distract himself, but he didn't want to think like that. She would never return his feelings, especially since he was the one that killed her.

"Can you hear me?" He decided to test it out.

"Yes, I can. There's one other person already permanently here."

"That'th probably Nepeta. The wath killed yethterday."

"I find it strange that two people were killed in our session and ended up here as a result."

"I don't even thee how it'th poththible. It thouldn't be."

"What?"

"Being here." He raised his hands in hopelessness. "What are we even thuppothed to do? Thit around and talk?"

A loud ding sounded in his head, he got another chat request, from someone without a username. He glanced at Aradia and then quickly accepted it.

Hello, Sollux.

The words were white on a green background, and appeared slowly.

TA: what the f***?

I believe you wanted to know what you were supposed to do?

TA: who the hell are you? and how do you know my name?

That isn't important. I know because I'm omnipotent. I can help you, child.

TA: wiith what?

Despite the creepiness of this guy, he was still curious.

A house has been developed with your personal requirements in mind. There also have been some created for your friends.

TA: why would my friiend2 need them?

Because they too will join you inside the game, my friend. 

TA: you're goiing to kiill them two!?

Not me, I just know it will happen. Do not express your anger at me, child. You are not yet able to control your special abilities. Make your way to your home, or Hive as it is called by the trolls.

TA: fiine. Where ii2 iit?

Where's the fun in telling you? Just know that the color of it is green, and that it is very tall.

TA: oh, thank2 2ooo much.

Your sarcasm is not appreciated, child. I should warn you, there something that every troll has called a lusus. It will be there and you'll have to take care of it.

TA: what the hell is a lusus?

He thought the words too late, the screen was already fading.

"Was that the white text man?" Aradia asked.

"How did you know?"

"He's contacted me many times. He is very knowledgeable. What did he want?"

"He told me to go to thomething called a hive?"

"Ah yes, that was one of the first things he told me to do. It may be hard, but you'll find it. First I would suggest looking in the lawnrings."

"Lawnringth?"

"Apparently it is the troll word for lawn. You'll get used to the terminology eventually."

Sollux nodded as he followed Aradia to the nearest lawnring. He thought it was strange to rename everything just for the sake of the game, but it didn't really matter to him.

"Tho, what other troll wordth do I need to know?"

Aradia thought for a moment. "In the rooms there's something called a recooperacoon, it's where trolls sleep. It's filled with this weird slime. The white text guy told me that it helps trolls sleep better."

"Have you tried it?"

"Yes, before my home was destroyed. It was quite peaceful."

Sollux nodded as they came up to the lawnring. They looked around for the green building, but didn't see it. They all had weird windows made up of smaller sections, and those were almost always tinted different colors. Some of them had brightly colored awnings, some didn't. Some were different colors than others, but most were black.

"Maybe yours is more by itself."

Sollux shrugged.

"The Hive is based on your personality. I know because mine was near some ruins."

"Well, I do like to be by mythelf motht of the time. But I feel like it would be in a city or thomething."

"Well, then let's go this way." Aradia led Sollux over by large road that led into the woods a bit. When they came out on the other side, there were a bunch of tall green buildings scattered around, less spread out than the ones in the other clearing.

Sollux and Aradia scanned the clearing. Then they spotted it. It had something moving on top of it, attached to a rail that looked a bit like the top half of the Gemini symbol. That's how they could tell it was his. It was the only one like that.

The thing that was moving came into view, and Sollux saw it was a giant with two heads. It had one eye per head, one blue and the other red. Just like Sollux's eyes.

"This is probably yours." Aradia stepped back.

"Where are you going to thtay?"

"I'll sleep outside, like always. They never bothered to get me another hive." She shrugged nonchalantly.

"If you want, you can thpend the night with me."

He tried not to look overly eager at the thought. It would be nice if he got to know more about who she was now.

"Sorry to disappoint, but I happen to enjoy sleeping underneath the stars."

"Ah." He kept the disappointment off his face as she walked away. Well, floated really. He wondered why she was a ghost and no one else was that had died. He shrugged and turned to the house. He took in a deep breath and walked through the door. He looked around in surprise; this room was actually pretty cool.

It had a beehive looking thing in the corner, with bees buzzing around it. It also had red and blue wires coming out of it and attaching to a computer on a desk. The computer had the same symbol on the back of it as that on his shirt, but one half was red and the other blue. There were a bunch of different colored large insect looking things on the floor near the computer. They kind of looked like grubs, but he couldn't be sure. Some of the wires were attached to them, and some weren't. He glanced to one side and saw what he was pretty sure was the recooperacoon. It had two entrances, one red and the other blue. There was a window to the left of the recooperacoon thing that was made up of twelve separate smaller windows. There were curtains to each side of them, one red and the other blue.

He stared at the recooperacoon for a second, trying to figure out he was supposed to sleep in that thing. He suspected the holes going up its side were so he could climb up into it, but which side was he supposed to go in? Did it even matter?

Sollux looked at the walls; they were covered in chalkboards, with coding he had recently worked on at home littering them in blue and red chalk. How did that even happen? Those codes were completely original! Sollux glared at the walls, but at least he could still work on them. There was some ninja-looking s*** laying on the ground right next to the 'coon. They looked like purple throwing stars, whatever they were called. Shuriken or something like that.

After glancing at the computer again, he decided to go to sleep. Or try, at least.

He was climbing up to the entrances of the 'coon when a loud ding sounded in his head. He almost fell off, but managed to hold on.

It was Aradia. He accepted the chat and waited.

AA: I f0rg0t t0 tell y0u, the slime stains cl0thes s0 be careful.

TA: thank2 for the adviice, AA. Good niight.

AA: 'Night S0llux 0_0

TA: heh that make2 you look liike you're wiide awake.

AA: Hmm. H0w ab0ut this? u_u

AA: n0 that l00ks stupid.

TA: 2tiill, thank2. Bye.

AA: maybe if I… 0h bye!

Sollux closed out of the chat and quickly undressed. He felt out of place doing that here, but he wasn't about to ruin the only set of clothes the game gave him. Even though the room gave him a sense of belonging, and comforted him, he felt as though he was being watched. He shivered and quickly got into the slime.

It was very cold at first, but it slowly warmed up to a nice temperature. Sollux sank deep into the slime, falling into an easy sleep.

**A/R: So much blue and red 0_0. But I can't really complain, since I have a ton of my favorite color in my room. I can't help it! It's such a pretty color! Anyways, the one that died last chapter was indeed Sollux. Man, this is getting complex. Next chapter will be Nepeta…? Maybe? I'm not sure yet. I'll figure it out. Oh! Did you see what I did in the beginning? I made a pun! ^u^**


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32 **

**==I haven't decided who to be yet! **

You better decide quickly, or I'll choose for you :]

==**Wait… Let me think, I'll come up with one! Just give me a couple seconds.**

All right. But only a few!

==** …Can we wait to post to the chapter? **

No! Decide or I will for you.

**== Umm…Be…uh…Tavros!**

Is that your final decision?

**== No, no! Wait! Be Nepeta!**

Nepeta sat on an overhanging rock, staring out over a forest. There were a lot of animals here. Too bad she didn't have a gun to shoot them with. She wondered if she could make some sort of weapon to kill them with. A bow and arrow maybe? She shrugged. She wished she knew what she was supposed to do.

A loud ding sounded in her head. She saw it was Karkat, but decided to deny it. She didn't really have much to say to him. If he wouldn't tell her what was wrong, that was his problem. Another ding a couple minutes later went off. What was with these? They were so loud and obnoxious.

As soon as she thought that, the ding sounded again, but this time much quieter. She smiled. She was still getting the hang of things, but this was actually a lot easier to control inside the game rather than outside.

It was from someone unknown, so she shrugged and decided to see who it was. A green box popped up on the screen in front of her, with white text on it.

Hello, Nepeta. 

AC: :33 *ac wonders who this person could be* who are mew?

That is unimportant, my dear. I have a mission for you.

AC: :33 *ac jumps up and down excitedly* a mission? What kind of mission?

You want somewhere to stay, isn't that right?

AC: :33 well, of course! *ac wonders what the point is*

You need to find your hive. Or, house, whichever you want to call it.

AC: :33 I have a house? where is it? *ac curls up in the lap of mr. white text* *ac purrs*

You have to find it on your own, I'm afraid. It will be based on things that you enjoy, so think on that.

AC: :33 yes, sir! Thank you mr. white text! *ac waves a paw goodbye*

The box disappeared, and so did the screen. Nepeta grinned at the thought of a new room. And it would be based on what she liked! It would probably be the perfect room. Now…what kind of room would she want to have? She thought for a moment. A cave would be cool! But... it probably wouldn't be good house material. She frowned as she thought.

She thought of all sorts of traditional homes, and some non-traditional. But she kept getting drawn back to the idea of living in a cave. It would be the most fun thing ever! And if it was near some woods or something, she would be able to hunt every day. The only thing was, it would be hard to find a cave suitable to what she wanted. It had to have enough space to live in.

She stood up and stretched. If she was going to find her new cave, she might as well start as soon as she could. She leaped off the rock and landed in a crouch on the soft forest floor. She turned around to face the cliff, looking hopefully for caves. There were a few, and she checked them out. None were big enough.

She climbed back up to the top and looked over the forest, looking for any more rocky areas. When she turned slightly to the left she spotted a bit of gray in the corner of her eye. It might be some rocks, but she couldn't be sure.

She jumped from her perch yet again and landed smoothly in a tree. It was easy for her since she did this all the time. When she hunted she liked to pretend she was a mighty jaguar, or some other cat. She also did this when she larped sometimes. It definitely impressed the other role-players.

She jumped from the tree to another nearby, heading vaguely in the right direction. She jumped from tree to tree, laughing in enjoyment. Soon she forgot all about the mission she was given and was just messing around and playing.

However, it was getting dark. She could see better in the dark than most people she knew, but she didn't want to get caught out here without a weapon. She didn't know what kinds of animals lived out here, but they were sure to be dangerous. She had seen signs of them around, but she was making such a racket that they stayed away from her. That would probably change now that it was getting dark. She had to find shelter, and quickly.

Nepeta looked around, and decided to climb higher in the tree to see if she could still spot those rocks she'd seen earlier. When she looked around, she saw the same cliff from earlier. She had gone in a huge circle! She was frustrated with herself, but at least she knew there were caves she could shelter the night in.

She saw a tiny entrance to a cave near the bottom she hadn't gone in before. She slipped in and gasped. It was fully furnished, with several candles scattered along the walls. The walls were blood red and covered with drawings. She put her hand on one that declared her OTP was Karkat and her. What was this? How did the game know this? This was very personal. She put a cloth over it and ran her hands over all the other drawings. What had been used to paint them? She sniffed it. They had a metallic smell to them. She licked her finger, rubbed it on the wall and licked it again. Was that…blood?

She backed away in revulsion, and almost tripped over a dead animal. She scrambled back before realizing that it was just the skin. It was scaly and black. She had no clue what it was. There was another animal on the floor, but this one had fur. It was also black. Set into the walls were windows that looked into other caves. Some were furnished, some weren't. She didn't see anyone in them though. She looked down at the floor and saw an art palette with what looked like dried blood on it. There was a desk in one corner with a computer on it, and a white cat sleeping on the floor. Nepeta wondered if it was dangerous, and nudged it with her foot. It didn't wake up, so she left it alone.

She noticed blue gloves on the floor next to a weird contraption that was filled with something bright green. She picked them up, and they were oddly heavy. She pulled them on and admired them. They were fingerless, but that was good. She would be able to grip things more easily than with normal gloves. When she curled her hands into fists three long blue claws shot out from slits on top of the gloves.

She gasped in surprise and held them up to her face, twisting and turning them. She swiped one through the air, testing it. Then she unclenched her fist, fanning out her fingers. The claws slid back in. No wonder the gloves were so heavy.

She grinned, deciding to keep them on. She poked the green stuff, it was sort of sticky. She licked it, but spit it out. It tasted nasty. She looked around the room, but didn't see a bed. She shrugged and pulled up the furry beast on the floor. It was nice and soft, perfect for sleeping on. This would have to do for now.

It took her forever to fall asleep, and all she could do was remember the last moments of her life. When she finally got some sleep, she had a nightmare. All her friends were being killed off, and she had to watch each and every one as they took their dying breaths. It was probably the worst dream she had had in her life.

**A/R: I feel like this is getting repetitive. Meh, if it gets to that point I'll just do a montage or whatever. We'll see. **


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33**

**==Be Tavros**

You're going back to who you wanted to be last time? You're so indecisive.

**== Just be Tavros. **

Just a second… We haven't been him in a while. You sure?

**== YES!**

Alright, alright. No need to yell, sheesh.

Tavros sat up in his wheelchair. He had finally been allowed to go back to school. The only problem was that he couldn't be driven to school anymore by Rufioh. The small car didn't have a way to hold his wheelchair. He had a choice between the "short" bus, and wheeling himself to school. He knew it was too far, especially since he wasn't all that strong, but he didn't really want to be thought of one of "those people."

As soon as he started down the street he regretted his decision. But he couldn't turn back now; it was too late to catch the bus. There were so many hills. At least when he went down he could feel like he was flying. That was the fun part.

Going up the hills, however, was another story. He wasn't all that strong to begin with, and he hadn't built up enough muscle yet to lug himself around. Although he did consider himself to be pretty light. He kept losing his grip and sliding back down the hill.

His mind drifted to his time in the hospital. It was very lonely, he had few visitors outside of his brother. He wasn't very good at making friends, so it wasn't much of a surprise. The real surprise came when that girl, Vriska came to visit him. All she did was taunt him, and complain that she had made her get a suspension. It was like she was blaming him for something she did. That's exactly what she was doing. It was weird. At times it felt like she was flirting with him, but then she'd say something condescending and he'd dismiss it.

He sighed as he reached the crest of a hill. He checked his watch. He had about fifteen minutes to get there, and he probably still had a while to go. He sighed and pushed off, breezing down the hill. When he got to the bottom, thankfully it evened out.

"Hey, motherf***er, you need help?" A guy walking to school suddenly said.

Tavros didn't even notice him behind him. He would've liked to say yes, but he didn't know the guy.

"No…uh, I'm fine."

"You sure, bro? You look like you need some."

"Uh, yeah. I'm alright."

Tavros tried to push himself faster, but only ended up breathing heavily. Suddenly, he was going faster, and it was way easier than before.

He glanced behind him and saw the guy was pushing him. He sighed, defeated.

"What's your name, motherf***er?"

"It's, uh, Tavros. What about…uh, you?"

"Gamzee motherf***in' Makara."

Wait…Gamzee? He recognized that name from somewhere. Wasn't he from the game?

"Uh, do you play Sburb?"

"Sure do bro."

"So do I!" Tavros grinned and looked up at Gamzee's face.

"That's cool, Tavbro." He had an out of it look on his face. Tavros didn't care though, he was nice to him, and that's all he cared about.

"Um, thanks for…taking me to school."

"No problem." He smiled placidly.

Gamzee waved and went on his way as Tavros rolled down the hallway. It was weird seeing the hallway from a whole new perspective. He noticed things he didn't before, like how dirty the tiles were. How dull the lockers were. Everything looked less new and bright than it did before. He wondered why that was.

He glanced at a clock and hurried to his locker. He was allowed to take his backpack with him throughout the day, but he had left some things in there. As he hurried, the first bell rang.

Thankfully he made it to class just in time. He doubted He would've gotten in trouble if he was late, but he wanted to be on time. It was one of his favorite classes, English.

He went throughout the day without incident, except for Vriska taunting him from far away in the hallway. He saw Gamzee a couple more times, and he waved to him. Tavros waved shyly back, but was a little nervous to be around him. He had asked a few people in his lunch about him and they said to stay away from him. He was dangerous, and it was rumored that he had killed a person before. Tavros wasn't sure the boy he had met that morning could do something like that. Either way, they were just rumors. More than likely, they were unfounded.

He sighed. He had a long way to go if he wanted to get home. He set out once more, hoping to get home as soon as possible. He looked around for Gamzee, but didn't see him anywhere. Tavros shrugged and pushed off.

Cars whizzed past him, sometimes making him cough in the exhaust fumes. One pulled up next to him. It was a tan sedan, and it looked fairly beat up.

"You want a ride, kid?" The strange man asked. For some reason he was wearing sunglasses, even though the sky was clouded over.

"Umm, no I'm good." Tavros tried to move faster, but of course it was pointless. Even if he was stronger, he couldn't outrace a car. He blinked and heard a loud gunshot. He had a weird feeling of déjà vu. This had happened before…right? He shook his head, but the movement just made him feel dizzy and more confused.

"Tavbro?" He heard Gamzee's voice. It was filled with worry and his face loomed over him. Finally he got a good up close look at his face, and his purple eyes. They were surrounded by his weird clown paint, and they were glazed over. His hair was a mess, black as night. His skin was tanned, like he was from the south.

"H-hey Gamzee." He coughed a little, and was surprised when he tasted blood. The pain was tearing through his chest, like a rampaging bull. He hadn't even noticed it until he coughed. He fought for breath, to say something, anything. But it was too late. He had no more breath, and nothing left to say. So he gave up, and found himself in a world of darkness.

It was strange; he couldn't see or feel anything. Except a small tugging sensation that was steadily getting stronger. He hadn't noticed it at first, but it was definitely there. He wondered where it would take him. This place was so peaceful, he wished he could stay here forever, but that probably wasn't going to happen, what with the tugging and all. Was he dead? If he could still feel things, he didn't think he was. But then why was it so dark? The tugging sensation grew and he blinked in sudden light. It wasn't that much light, but it still pierced against his eyes that were so used to darkness. He blinked rapidly.

This wasn't the street he was on before…Where was he? With a start he realized he was standing up. He could feel his legs! He glanced around at several people milling around. There was something off…They weren't talking. And that's when he noticed the extra weight on his head. He fell backwards, put off balance by the huge horns. Some of the people glanced over at him, but none came to his aid. He slowly got up and was startled by a loud ding in his head.

He put his hand up to his head; it had given him a small headache. A screen appeared before him and he looked around. No one reacted to it. Maybe he was the only one that could see it…? He shrugged and accepted the chat.

AA: hell0 Tavr0s. I see y0u have entered the game as well.

AT: oH, uH,,,hI ARADIA.

AT: hOW'S IT, uH, gOING?

AT: }:)

AA: S0 far, f0ur 0f us have entered. Y0u, Nepeta, and S0llux.

AT: uH, yOU MEAN,,,

AA: That we have died in reality, and by s0me means, have c0me t0 be here.

AT: oH, wHY DO YOU THINK WE'RE HERE, uH, aRADIA?

AA: I have n0 p0ssible way 0f kn0wing. S0rry.

AA: Based 0n my experience, as well as S0llux's I have reas0n t0 believe a man with white text will request t0 chat with y0u.

AT: uH., wHO IS HE?

AA: I'm n0t sure, but he claims t0 be 0mniscent. Accept his chat, and he will tell y0u where t0 g0. That's all I can tell y0u.

AT: uM,,, tHANKS ARADIA.

AA: Y0u're welc0me.

Aradia stopped chatting with him and the screen disappeared. How does he know her name, you ask? When they were both younger, they used to role play all the time, that's why. As soon as they knew they were in the same session, they started talking to each other again. He'd probably call her his closest friend.

Tavros sighed and waited. And waited some more. Soon he got tired of waiting and went to explore. He was about to enter a clearing full of weird looking buildings when another, quieter ding sounded in his head.

And the green box appeared.

**A/R: Happy Fourth of July! Or Independence Day, whatever you want to call it. You gotta admit Gamzee and Tavros would be cute together… although I don't ship it all that much. I kind of ship Tavros and Vriska more. I just feel like, I don't know… They'd be perfect for each other. But GamTav is so adorable! It's hard not to ship. Oh! 50,000 words! Woo-hoo! **


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter 34**

**== Be—**

Nope. I'm cutting you off again. ==Be a Police Officer

The police station was bustling with activity, but one officer sat alone at his desk. He was looking over the files for a recent string of murders. The attacker left no physical clues, other than the bullet inside the bodies' head. There were tire tracks, but those could be anyone's. Of course he had an expert look at them, just in case. The tires were a common model, however. Most cars had them.

Also, nothing connected the victims, other than the fact that they went to the same school. They were all around the same age, but it varied slightly. One was 15, another 16 and the last one had been 14. He wondered what would be next-17? 18? He didn't know, and that was what was frustrating. There was no pattern.

"How's it going on your case, Larry?" Another officer came up to him.

"Very bad, I can't find anything. None of their activities match, none of their ages are exactly the same, genders vary, and although they went to the same school, they weren't all friends. I assume they all knew each other, or knew of each other anyways."

"Maybe you should talk to their parents again. Talk to them about the things they did at home. Maybe that'd connect them."

"But they really wouldn't be doing that together. I don't think it'd work."

"Doesn't hurt to try." The other officer shrugged. "See you, Larry." He said as he walked away.

Larry stared at the files in his hand. He was right. He had nothing to go on. That might be the only thing that connected them. He decided to take a break and then do it first thing tomorrow. He got a sticky note and wrote _Ask parents what the kids did at home. _He stuck it on his desk, stood and stretched. He decided to go get a snack. He made a mental note in his head, that if this worked out, he would have to thank that officer. Wait… he hadn't recognized that guy. Who was he? He thought back to his first impression. He had thought he might've been Hispanic, and he had short light brown hair. He was thin, and slightly taller than him. Although, he was a bit shorter than most people. He remembered thinking that he had really big lips. He had no clue who he was.

He was distracted from his thoughts when they brought a kid in, covered in blood. His face was a mess, streaks ran through strange white clown makeup, and his hair was also a mess, although he suspected that was on purpose. He had obviously been through something.

**==Be that guy**

What guy?

**==That guy, the one he was describing.**

Oh that one. Ok. Can you be more descriptive?

**== The one that you said was Hispanic looking**

Really? You want to be _him?_ Ok…You might regret this though.

That guy laughed at himself. Normally he didn't interfere with things he set into motion, but he wanted to see the outcome of this war. It was interesting, to say the least. He already knew that all the kids were going to die. All of them, except for one. Although that one would probably still end up inside the game like the rest of them. He also knew the way they could get out. No, he wasn't going to say it. Not even in his thoughts. Not even the omniscient could know something like this, and they probably would know it as soon as he thought it.

He grinned. This was going to be fun. He doubted anyone knew what the whole point of this huge stalemate was. And yet, he did. Because that was who he was. He was even more omniscient than the omniscient, all because of his identity. No, he wasn't going to tell you that either. Although he's sure you've guessed by now. And despite most of those guesses being true, he won't confirm it until much, much later. So you're stuck wondering who he is. At least, for now.

**==Oh come on! Tell me who he is!**

I can't tell you if he doesn't want you to know, sorry.

**==Fine. Then can I be someone else?**

Sure, who?

**==How about…Gamzee!**

Before that…does everyone know where we are on the timeline? I think we should go over that before being anyone else. Ok. Nepeta was killed on Saturday, Sollux was killed on Sunday, and Tavros was killed on Monday. This chapter is also on Monday. And there you have it.

Gamzee strolled down the sidewalk, not really thinking about anything. He stared at the clouds. He saw shapes in them, and they disappeared and reappeared as something moved them.

"Motherf***in' miracles." He whispered under his breath. And that's what it was. Karkat had tried to tell him once that it was the wind moving them, but Gamzee didn't believe him. He didn't want his miracles taken away. He wanted them to stay miracles.

In the corner of his eye he glimpsed metal. A wheelchair had fallen on its side and its occupant was lying sprawled on the ground. Red blood soaked ground, spreading as he watched.

"Tavbro?" He said quietly. He knew automatically that it was the boy he had met earlier that same day. This one was too motherf***ing cute not to be. He that adorable little mohawk, and those huge brown eyes.

"H-hey Gamzee." The guy stuttered out. He coughed up blood and he looked like he was in agony. He was staring straight into Gamzee's eyes. It felt like was trying to convey something, but he didn't say anything else, just gasped and stilled. He was dead.

Gamzee started crying. He barely knew the guy, but he felt like it was his fault. If only he hadn't talked to Karkat after class for so long. He would've been able to walk home with him, and he could've protected him from the bullet. He took him up in his arms, getting blood all over himself. He didn't care.

He hastily pulled out his cell phone and dialed 911. Next thing he knew the ambulance was there and the police were helping him up. They took away his miracle and took him to the police station.

"Your name is Gamzee right?" An officer sat before him. "I'm the officer working on the recent murder case. My name is Larry, but you can call me Mr. Brown or Sir."

Gamzee nodded, staring at the blood on his arms. He wondered why he wasn't allowed to go get cleaned up. It was sticky.

"I have a few questions for you, Gamzee. What were you doing near that boy?"

"Well, we had met this mornin' 'cause he was havin' some trouble with his wheelchair. I helped him get to school, and that was it. At the end of the day I was talkin' to my friends, and then I left, 'cause I walk home. Sometimes my friends do too, but sometimes they ride the bus."

"Can you get back to the point, Mr. Makara?"

"Yeah, sure. Well I was walkin' along, enjoyin' the clouds and all, when I noticed him. Tavbro was lying on the ground, all bloodied and s***. He didn't say nothin', sides 'Hey Gamzee.'"

"You do realize that so far you are one of the few suspects in this case? And you're the only one with a record."

"I wouldn't kill Tavbro. He's too motherf***in' cute. He's like a miracle to the world. Would be a crime to kill him."

"Do you want me to read your record to you?"

"Nah, bro. I already know what I've done."

"Well I'm going to anyways. '3 counts of Possession of Illegal Drugs, 5 counts of Driving while Intoxicated, and 1 count of Attempted Homicide.'"

"Wow man, I am one messed up motherf***er. Now can I go cry in peace?" He sounded confident, but he knew that any moment he would break down. And he knew his record was bad, why did the police officer have to rub it in his face? It just made him feel worse about himself.

"Before you leave, we'll have to test you for drugs in your system." Larry folded his arms. He looked smug, smiling slightly. Like he had caught him. As if being high would make him the murderer. If anything, if he was sober, then it would've been a closed and shut case. But if he was sober, there would probably be more dead people than just three.

Gamzee nodded nonchalantly. As soon as the officer left, he started full out sobbing. He felt like someone was watching him, but he didn't care. He was going to cry for his friend, he didn't care who saw.

**A/R: It's completely obvious who "that guy" is, isn't it?. I'm not all that great at that kind of thing. And Gamzee's record, I tried to do it in that weird wording police people always use. I'm not a police officer, and I'm not a judge, lawyer or anything like that. I just watch the ID channel a lot…**


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter 35**

**== Be Karkat **

Karkat had taken off school today to go to Nepeta's funeral. He couldn't help but wonder why they decided to hold it on a Monday. Most of Nepeta's friends went to high school. He'd been told that Sollux died yesterday, and they made an announcement on the news that another student had been killed. Karkat didn't know him all that well, just that he had been paralyzed by the b**** Vriska.

But today's funeral wasn't for either of them. He knew he was going to go to Sollux's too, but he hadn't decided if he wanted to go to the other kid's funeral. Two many funerals was depressing enough. He sighed as he straightened his tie in the mirror. The shirt was white, but the tie was black, as well as the suit and pants. His hair wasn't messed up today, unlike normal. He didn't look bad, but he didn't care. When he met his eyes in the mirror, he saw no emotion. They were blank, dull, and numb. They even looked blacker than normal. They were normally a dark brown, almost black, and now the pupil couldn't be told apart from the iris. He had a soulless look on his face as he made final touches.

"C'mon Karkat." The soft voice of his dad brought him down from depressing thoughts. "It's time to go."

Kankri looked up from the couch apologetically. He wouldn't be going. Karkat was somewhat grateful for that, but it would've been nice to have his brother at his side.

They walked out the door, got in the car, and were off. His father didn't say a word. He turned on the radio to a news station. Karkat zoned out, not really listening. Until one reporter started talking about something close to home.

"…recent hashing of murders in the City of [insert name of a generic suburb]. No one knows who the perpetrator is, but the police are working hard to find suspects. The victims were all young children, still in high school. Make sure your child stays safe, and make sure they stay away from dark alleys. It seems they've all happened when the victim is alone. Stay indoors as much as possible, the police—"

Karkat turned off the radio. He didn't want to listen to that garbage. He already knew that he was a suspect in the police's eyes. If he was near any more murders, no matter if he had a gun with him or not, they would probably hold him in the station.

He sighed as they came to the funeral home. Today would be a long day.

**==Be Meulin**

Are you kidding me? Don't you want to hear what happens with Karkat?

**==No, be Meulin**

Fine. But just because of that, I'm skipping over the funeral.

Meulin arrived at her home after the funeral. There had been more people there than she had expected. Apparently these murders were attracting the attention of the community. People were afraid of this murderer becoming a serial killer, and everyone was afraid for their children.

She sighed as she walked into Nepeta's room. She glanced around at the posters on the walls, and the drawings strewn everywhere. Her eyes landed on Nepeta's laptop. She got up and sat on the bed, opening it up. She looked through the icons and opened up Sburb. It required a login, so she clicked sign up. Why a computer game with a disc had this kind of feature, she didn't know. She just shrugged and created a new account.

She chose troll, of course, and made the hair long. She tried to change the color, but for some reason couldn't. She moved on, and chose cat-like horns. They were very customizable; it seemed she could even choose sizing and proportion.

She kept them as they were and chose a cat-like mouth, with long incisors. For clothes she chose a black long sleeved with a collar underneath an olive green short sleeved shirt. She also got a black pleated mini-skirt with a blue tail in the back. She also chose long socks, ones that reached up slightly past her knees. They were a slightly lighter shade of olive green. For some reason, she couldn't change her eyes from the blank white that they were, although she saw there were a couple of options for eyes. She could change the shape, at least. She clicked next and was given a black Leo symbol for her shirt. Then it just passed her into the game. No username? She wondered at that. She was dropped into a large clearing surrounded on all sides by trees. She looked around in amazement. Out of all the games she'd played, this was by far the most detailed.

Every blade of grass looked real. The trees looked randomly spaced, and there were even clumps of wildflowers. She crouched down on the ground to zoom in on the grass when another player suddenly walked in from the woods. It was another troll, with hair that was black and tipped in red. He had on a black jacket with small bones on it, over top a red shirt and another black shirt over top of that. The black shirt had a bronze Taurus symbol. He had on long pants with red horizontal stripes.

**unknownUser01 wants to troll you. Accept? Yes / No**

Unknown user? What did that mean? She clicked accept.

UU01: do you understand the po1nt of th1s game?

UU02: (\=^ w ^=/) nope!

UU01: and why the hell are we both unknown users?

UU02: (;^._.^) I have no idea, but can you hang on a second? Something came up on my scr33n.

She clicked the pop up and read.

**To All Unknown Users:**

**You have created an account on an in session disc. This is only possible if the players have entered the game. As a result, you too will enter the game, but in a special level. This level consists of several pockets of memory, and is called the Dream Bubble. Your goal is to find all 12 unknown users within the Dream Bubble. Only then can you access the normal game. **

Suddenly Meulin's character was in a new place. It was still woods, but she could see an old dark purple castle in one direction. In the opposite direction, perhaps just as far away, was a golden yellow castle. She saw no end to the strange looking blue trees, but for the cliffs she was on at the moment. There was an old pavilion at the end of the cliffs with stairs leading up and down to several different levels. She stepped toward it to explore when she realized the troll she had met earlier was suddenly no longer with her. That didn't make sense; he had been an unknown user too. He was probably in this Dream Bubble thing too, somewhere. She didn't even know where to begin to look.

She shrugged and stepped into the forest. Best place to start looking was in front of her. As she walked through the forest she noticed different types of forest randomly converging and blending with different types of ground. She looked up and saw a system of ropes and ladders in the trees. She climbed up to get a better view of the area and quickly reached the top. She looked around and saw that on the other side of the forest was an area for what looked like homes. Beyond that she thought she saw an ocean, and several beaches and small islands. She saw something even further beyond that, what looked like another land mass. She couldn't make out any details of it, except that it looked dark.

She sighed and pushed away from the screen. This level was huge; she would never be able to find her way around here. She logged off and walked downstairs to sit on the couch.

"How was it?" Jade asked from the other room. She was fixing up some deer she and Nepeta had caught together. She hadn't gone to the funeral.

"_It was beautiful, and yet horrible. It was very sad and quiet, but also happy and boisterous, like she would've wanted_." She texted to Jade's phone. She saw Jade pick it up a few seconds later.

"I should've gone." Jade was facing Meulin and she could see her from the window cut into the wall of the kitchen.

Meulin sat down at the small bar on the other side of the window.

_"I can understand why you didn't go. Don't regret your decision." _She sent.

"Hey, Meulin? Can you teach me sign language?"

She smiled, with a touch of sadness in her eyes. "_Of course. First the alphabet. This is A." _She made a fist with her hand, with the thumb sticking up on the side. "_B"_ She made a flat vertical hand with the thumb crossing over the palm. "_C"_ She circled her hand, with four fingers on top making the upper half of a c, and the thumb making the bottom half. This continued until she went through the entre alphabet.

_"The alphabet can be used for small words and names, so it's pretty useful. Practice that for now, and then I'll teach you some words." _

Jade smiled and went over them with her hands. "I finished lunch."

"_I'm not really hungry. I think I'll just go read manga or something in my room."_

_"_Alright. See you later."

Meulin headed back to her room and sat on the edge of her bed. She lay back and stared up at the blank ceiling. She reflected on her memories of Nepeta. Some were happy, some sad, and some were just them sitting together watching their favorite animes.

She sighed. She would really miss Nepeta, but she was so used to death she didn't even cry. Not one tear. She remembered at Mother's funeral, they both were sobbing and clinging to each other like their lives depended on it. And they did. All the people with their insufficient condolences just made them cry even harder.

She closed her eyes. She didn't want to think about that. Especially when—No. She wouldn't think it.

Meulin sat up and went back to Nepeta's room. She brought the laptop into her room and went on it again. If there were twelve unknowns, couldn't she just chat them all one by one? She hurried to log in and found herself in the same place she had begun yesterday. As if she hadn't done any exploring at all. She frowned, but shrugged as she looked at the chat finder thing on the side. Maybe she forgot to save. It had only two other people in the roster, but it wouldn't let her click either one. Was the chat disabled? She tried the area chat, and that seemed like it was working.

UU01: (/.^=) anyone out there?

UU01: (=^.\) anyone at all?

UU03: Y32 1 1,M H343R.

UU01: (\=^w^=/) yay! where are mew?

UU03: 1 D0N'7 UND3R2744444ND!11?/!

UU01: (^._ .^) what don't mew understand?

UU03: L34V3 M3 4L0N3!1!1 1 D0N'7 N0 H0W Y0U 4R31!

UU01: (^T . T^) I don't know why you're saying that, but I'm going.

UU03: L34V3 M3 4L0000N33!111!1

Meulin minimized the chat and sat back in her seat. Who in the world was that? She shrugged and decided to explore the cliffs. As she walked towards the pavilion, through the mist she thought she saw a figure. She squinted and cursed under her breath to the mist.

"What is…?" The mist cleared and she saw a man in a skin-tight suit with bones in the places they would fall in the human body. One of those X-ray type shirts. Only this one went all over his body except for his face, and he wore purple shorts on the outside of the suit, as well as shoes of the same color that went up to his knees. On his face was clown-like make-up that accented his facial bones. His hair was messed up and long. A lot of it was sticking it straight up.

She knew instantly who it was: Kurloz.

As soon as she thought that, he smiled and disappeared.

**A/R: Duh duh duh! Some notifications: I'll be switching internet services in sometime next week, so my internet will be down for roughly 3-5 days. Expect no updates. Other than that, I have no other notifications. So really it was only one instead of some. Ok I'm done now. Oh, do you like how I switched Meulin's way of talking (to Jade) to texting? I got the idea from an anime I recently watched called Duarara. Great anime. Sorry for the lack of updates. I was lazy and didn't feel like editing this…I've had it done for several days…**


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter 36**

**==Be Terezi!**

Terezi smelled Karkat walk to school the next day. He smelled sad, really sad. She wanted to comfort him, but she wasn't really good at comforting people.

She took a deep breath and walked into the school. She'd decided to go ahead with her art project. She'd be drawing from memory, but that wouldn't be too much of a problem. Now, instead of abstract, she would attempt to draw her as realistically as possible. She had gotten permission to use a private room so she could devote time to the painting all day. She had a feeling she needed to get it done as soon as possible.

First she drew a basic sketch on a white canvas. She cleaned and erased and drew again. It took a while, but she finally got the perfect positioning of all the things.

She chose light colors from the paint supply. She quickly put down a base coat of plain light colors on each section. It took a while to get it perfect. It took a lot of waiting for it to dry and licking it to make sure everything was in the lines. Sometimes that messed up the paint and she would have to fix it.

"Hey, TZ. What's going on in here?" Terezi jumped at the sudden interruption.

"Dave? Is that you?" She grinned at him from around her painting.

"Sure is. What're you painting? Can I see it?"

"No! It's not finished yet." She frowned at the painting. She added a small stroke, creating a small shadow on the face.

"Oh come on, Terez. It won't hurt anything."

"Dave…" a warning tone crept into her voice.

"Ok, ok. It's fine."

"Hey Dave, not that I don't like your company, but can you leave?"

"Well, I am thoroughly offended."

Terezi raised her eyebrows at him.

"Ok, fine I'm leaving. But wouldn't you rather be listening to sick beats while painting?"

"Hmm. Not a bad idea, Strider." She leaned back in her seat and thought. She wanted the painting to have a peaceful feeling. Maybe she could listen to classical music?

"You know any good classical music?" Terezi asked the still there Dave.

"Do I know any…? TZ, you don't know nothing about me." He pulled out his iPod and a small speaker. "I have a full f***ing playlist. Classical music's the s***."

Terezi smiled genuinely this time. "Thanks Dave."

"Anytime." He left the room, probably off to go bug that one kid again. She didn't even know the guy's name, and didn't really care.

She concentrated on the painting, and let the music wash over her. The feel of the painting was starting to come through. In the dark parts of songs, she painted the dark things, and likewise with the light and happy sounding songs.

She immersed herself in painting, not even hearing the bells ringing. Some time when it was half-way finished, her stomach growled rather loudly. She ignored it at first, trying to paint through it. But it grew more persistent and she had to take a break. She felt uneasy leaving her painting alone, so she put a sign that said do not disturb on the back of the painting. Hopefully that would deter people from touching it. Still she worried, but her stomach growled, urging her to the cafeteria. She quickly turned off Dave's music, sticking the phone in her pocket and she grabbed her lunch from her locker. She wondered which lunch she would stumble into.

She looked down at herself and realized she'd forgotten to take off her painting smock. She hurried back to the art room.

"Excuse me?" A tap on her shoulder. She jumped at the sound and touch. She wasn't paying attention to her surroundings. That wasn't a good thing. Maybe she should bring out her cane more often…

"Hmm, Yes?" She turned towards the person, grinning slightly. The best thing would be to act like she wasn't startled.

"Do you know the person using this art room?" They gestured over to the one she was in.

"That would be me. Why?"

"Really?" The person leaned closer to her face.

"Ugh, personal space, please." She waved at the air in front of her nose. This person smelled terrible. They had on a mish mash of colors on that did not smell good together. The voice sounded feminine.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"Who are _you_?" Terezi replied.

"I'm sorry, I'm Jade. Jade Harley."

"Terezi Pyrope." She sniffed the air skeptically. She shook her head and went back into the room. She took off the smock and hung it up, feeling for the hook.

She sat down at a table and set down her lunch. She took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes.

"What, you're still here?" she looked at Jade with her bare eyes. "You seem surprised." She remarked as she placed her red glasses back on the bridge of her nose.

"It's just…Well I saw your painting, and it's so amazing and…"

"You're wondering how a blind person could paint that well." She waved her hand in the air. "I get that a lot. You don't have to be able to see to draw. Of course, I have other ways of seeing. For instance, you smell like grape, a bit of grass and some pistachio. Oh and I smell a small hint of cherries! You're wearing a red scarf." She smirked. "Red's my favorite color."

She smelled her shock and surprise. "And now you're shocked." She giggled and took a bit of her sandwich. "Why did you come to this art room?"

"It's sort of a long story…"

"We have time."

And so for the rest of lunch, Jade told Terezi her story of heartbreak. How her grandfather died, how she had been living with Nepeta and her sister. And that she didn't know what to do now that Nepeta had died. And the guy she liked had turned her down when she confessed her feelings to him today. He had said he had feelings for someone else. So she had run in her to escape the embarrassment.

"What's his name?"

"I-I'd rather not say." She blushed.

She smiled congenially and threw her trash away. She made her way over to the smocks and got a smock down. Then she went to stand next to her painting.

At that exact moment the bell rang and Jade looked up startled.

"Good luck, Jade." She smiled as the girl rang out of the class.

She took Dave's phone out of her pocket and turned it back on to the classical playlist. Jade was a nice girl, any guy would be lucky to have her. She wondered who the mystery boy was as she stared into space, not thinking about anything.

She jumped out of her thoughts and sat down to begin working anew on the painting. She was almost done. It was almost perfect. She had about two more hours before it was time to go home. And she would work on it until it was done. It had to be absolutely perfect.

Two hours later, and it was finished. She sniffed deeply. It looked amazing. She smiled. This was the hardest she'd ever worked on a project.

"Hey, TZ. You going to walk home?" Dave's voice broke her out of her reverie.

"What? Oh. Probably not. I'll have Latula come pick me up."

Dave nodded. "Is it done?"

"Yes." She whispered. "You want to see it?"

She heard him walk slowly to a spot behind her.

"Wow…" He said quietly. She heard glass tinkling and she knew he had taken his sunglasses off. She didn't take that lightly. "Is that Nepeta?"

She nodded. She tipped her head back to look at Dave. It was more for his benefit than hers. She could smell his cherry red eyes anywhere. He smiled down at her.

"Is that a smile I smell?" She grinned. "Dave, smiling?! What is this world coming to?" She twirled her seat around to face him.

"Terezi…" Her smile grew wider as he rolled his eyes.

"C'mon. Let's go." She said softly, tugging on his hand. At the door she looked back longingly at the painting. She wished she could take it with her, but it had to dry.

"Hey Terezi, is it done yet?" She heard the bright voice of Jade from around the corner. As soon as she turned the smile dropped from her face.

"Jade! Yes, it is." She dropped Dave's hand and grabbed Jade's, pulling her into the classroom, ignoring the look on the shorter girl's face. "Dave, go drive your sister home. I'll be fine." She said as she closed the door.

"Fine." He said. He seemed uncomfortable about something.

"Here it is." Terezi showed her the painting.

"It's beautiful." Jade breathed. "Terezi…are you and Dave dating?"

She snorted. "Oh good god no. We're just very close friends. We've been friends since we were kids."

"Oh…" Jade said. She blushed.

"Why? Is he the one that turned you down?"

"Well…yes." She squeaked out as she buried her hands in her hands.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I'll kill him for you, ok?"

"Thanks." She sniffled. "I'm ok." She put on a brave smile.

"Good. Do you walk?"

"No, I used to ride to school with Nepeta and her friend Equius but…"

"I'll get my sister to drive you home."

"Thanks Terezi. I don't know what I'd do without your help."

"Don't worry about it." Terezi smiled kindly at the girl.

A shadow that could be seen underneath the door started walking away. The owner of this shadow was a tall, athletic young man named Dave Strider. And he had just heard every word.

**A/R: Hey, look. Another chapter. It's because my internet's been out for most of the day, and so I have nothing to do. Well…I could read… I'm reading a really good book right now (I really shouldn't rant about this here…but it's the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy :3). Ok, so actually on the topic of this chapter, does anyone else ship Daverezi? No one? Ok, I'll just go hide in a corner now. :c (Is it just me or are these chapters getting longer? 0_0)**


	37. Chapter 37

**Chapter 37**

**==Montage?**

Montage.

A tan sedan was driving throughout the dark streets. Gunshots rang out over the course of several days. It seemed this killer was on a rampage.

**John: Enter**

John was being driven home by Dad when a gunman in the tan sedan came up next to them. He only hit John, and Dad couldn't see who it was that killed his only son. He was furious.

**Kanaya: Enter**

Kanaya was in a local fabric store, perusing which fabrics she wanted to use for a dress she was going to make for a friend. She settled on a shiny blue-green fabric and paid the clerk. As she was walking to her car, a gun shot rang out and the fabric she had just bought was splattered with blood.

**Equius: Enter**

Equius worked at a mostly unknown horse farm on the outskirts of town. It was an interesting job, and it paid well. He loved horses, and as much as he loved mechanics, horses calmed him. They made him sweat less. Nepeta had been the one that introduced him to the owner of the farm, and they had become fast friends.

He smiled as he ran the brush through a mare's mane. He placed his other hand in front of her nose and she puffed into it. Her lips ran over his hand, searching for a treat. She snorted when she found none.

Equius jumped when he heard a gunshot and the mare whinnied. The whites of her eyes shown as he slowly lead her back to her stall. He locked her in and went to investigate. Hopefully she wouldn't hurt herself trying to bolt.

"Hello there." A gruff voice said from behind as another gunshot went off. This one settled into the back of Equius's head.

The gunman grumbled under his breath as he made his way back to the tan sedan.

**Ferferi: Enter**

Feferi was sitting by herself on the curb. She didn't want to be caught up in all these shootings, and wished she had Sollux with her to protect her. But no, he had died, leaving her all alone.

"W-well hello there." Feferi looked up at the telltale accent of Eridan. For some reason she could never figure out, he doubled his w's and v's.

"Eridan?! How in the world?!"

"Surprised? I can tell. I hav-ve come, like I said I w-would."

"I thought you were joking! Eridan, I told you, I don't want to be friends with you anymore!"

"I understand Fef. If you don't w-want to be friends…w-why don't we be somethin'…more."

"No. I'm sorry Eridan, but I don't think I can do that." Feferi started to walk away when she heard a gunshot.

"Did you just shoot that glubbin' gun at me?!" Feferi yelled. Eridan grimaced at her. And held the gun away from him like it was roadkill.

Blood was pouring from a wound in her stomach, but she could take this. She would make her last words count.

"Eridan, why? Why would you do this?"

"You told me you didn't w-want me to be your boyfriend because of the f***in' distance. Obv-viously that w-was a lie, just an excuse to get rid of me. W-well I w-won't take that. I deserv-ve you! If I can't hav-ve you, no one can!"

He glared at her as she took in a shuddering breath.

"Eridan, killing me won't make me love you…nothing will."

"W-well too glubbin' bad! Because I already did!" Eridan turned sharply on his heel and walked slowly away, leaving Feferi to die alone.

**Vriska: Enter**

Finally Vriska was allowed to go back to school. It took long enough, but here she was. She stood at an intersection before the schools entrance. She looked both ways discreetly before crossing. No matter what her friends said, she didn't want to be killed just because she didn't check the street for cars.

But…that's exactly what happened. A tan car down the road revved its engines and sped toward the figure crossing the road. The murderers didn't look back after they heard a wet crunch.

**Rose: Enter**

Rose sat humming in her room. She was knitting a new cover for her laptop. It was fun to do, even though she only recently learned how to do it. She looked up as she heard shouting from the streets. She ran into Dave's room to look out of a window that faced the street. A police car had pulled over a tan sedan.

"Rose what the f***?" Dave looked up from where he was lying on the bed.

The occupants were arguing with the officer, shouting at him.

Rose ran out of the house, ignoring Dave

"Rose, where're you going?" Dave confusedly shouted after her.

"That's her!" one of the occupants of the car yelled.

Rose was confused and looked around to see if someone else had run out to see what was going on. No one. She was all alone.

As she turned to look behind her she heard a gunshot ring out, and then another one right after it

The first one hit her, but she didn't see where the second one hit. The shot hit just below her heart, or so she thought based on the pain. She screamed, her voice reflecting her pain.

"Rose!" she heard Dave's shout from the window. "Bastards!" He yelled at the car as it drove off. The policeman called for backup and an ambulance, but it was too late. Rose was already dead, and the sedan had gotten away.

**==Be Larry **

Who the heck is Larry?

**==The police officer guy! **

Oh yeah. Him. How in the world did you remember his name? Never mind, I'm not sure I want to know.

Larry had gone around to the meet all the parents of the victims. Some didn't want to talk, some didn't have parents, and some weren't around. But he discovered that they all had one thing in common. They all played a video game called Sburb. He decided to research this game, and had some of his subordinate officers play it to discover how it worked.

Once they did that, they found out that the gamers played in groups. Larry told them to find out what groups the victims were, a job much harder than it seemed. It took them several days to discover that all but two of the victims were in same group of trolls. Those two that weren't in the troll group were in the same group of humans.

"Notify the families of the kids in the groups." Larry ordered.

The officers glanced at one another uneasily.

"Uh, sir?" One officer said hesitantly.

"What?" Larry snapped as he faced the unlucky officer that dared to speak up.

"Uh…well…we can't…"

"What?" Larry asked, with a small evil smile.

"Well, it's just that we don't know their names, or anything!" A friend of the first officer spoke up.

Larry seethed at the group. "We have citizens to protect! Find out their names this instant!"

"Um..."

"What now?!" Larry spun to face the woman that spoke up this time.

"You can't just ask kids on the internet what their names are."

"Argh!" Larry threw his hands up in the air. "I don't care how you find out, just find out!" He stormed back into his office, slamming the door behind him.

"That was a nice little show back there." A man lay on the desk on his side. He was facing the door and had one hand supporting his head, the other lay suddectively on his hip. Larry was disgusted.

"What the hell?!"

"Why hello there."

"Who the f*** are you?!"

"You mean you don't remember me?" A shocked expression came over his face as he sat up. The lights suddenly blinked on and his face was revealed. It was that guy from earlier! The one with the big lips!

"Are you f***ing kidding me."

"You'll never find out their names that way, you know."

"Well what do you suggest?" Larry spat.

"I might be able to supply you with the names…" He tipped his head to one side and smiled mischievously.

"What do you want?" Larry asked resignedly.

"The most expensive horse paintings in the world."

"The most expensive…WHAT?"

"You heard me." He smirked.

"No. F***ing. Way. Get out of my office."

"Ok…but don't come crying to me when all your plans fail."

"I don't even know your name!"

The man looked as if he was thinking, putting a hand on his chin. "Call me…MAYBE!" He threw a couple slips of paper into the air and ran out of the room, laughing maniacally.

Larry glared after him and picked up one of the slips. It was a phone number for some place that was called "Busts R Us." The phone number was 213-8008. It didn't even have an area code. He assumed it was the one for the city they were currently in, but still. What the heck.

**A/R: Is that enough feels for you? And then a nice funny note at the end… Lol, references. Oh I finished that book I mentioned last time. It leaves off so abruptly, it's like it doesn't even wrap up anything. It isn't fit for the ending of a chapter, much less a book. Must have the next one! It's a very good book, and is actually written quite like the style of Homestuck. Oh, and each of these deaths happens on different days in the order of how they went. The police officer part happens after all of them.**


	38. Chapter 38

**Chapter 38**

**==Be Karkat**

Karkat sat stunned at the events of the last few days. The news announced they had found another dead body the day before, one of Feferi Maryam. They connected it to the string of murders that have been happening over the last week(s?). In other related news the police had an altercation with a tan sedan, but the police officer that was there at the time was young and inexperienced. He hadn't even gotten the car's license plate! The criminals were sure to replace it anyways but…it would've been something to go on at least. Although the amateur cop did fire at them after they shot a girl whose name wasn't released yet, the police weren't sure if it actually did any damage or not.

Karkat stood and rubbed his eyes. Gamzee had gotten arrested yet again for having drugs in his system. When was he not high? That was the least of his worries, although he tended to worry about that clown an awful lot. It seemed like the only friend that he had left was Terezi. And she was always busy hanging out with Dave, so he didn't talk to her much anymore. They had been close before Dave moved here. They had even dated for a little while, but it hadn't worked out well. They had stayed friends, although Karkat tended to avoid her. The only thing was, Terezi was the kind of person that couldn't be avoided. She was loud and obnoxious, and was always annoying. She got on his nerves so much, which was probably the reason their relationship never worked out.

Karkat groaned as he sat down in first period. Automatically he looked to his left, but was hit by a pang of loss when Nepeta wasn't sitting there. He frowned through the lessons that made slightly more sense than they used to, trying not to think about her.

At lunch he slumped in his seat. It was only him and Terezi now. Terezi chattered at him, but he wasn't really listening.

"Karkat…are you ok?" Terezi suddenly asked. He looked up and met her blank eyes. She had taken off her glasses. That meant she was being serious.

"…No." He finally responded.

"I know I'm not good at this kind of thing, but…"

"Terezi, it's ok. You don't have to worry about me anymore. I'm not your f***ing boyfriend."

"No, but you are my friend, and I care about you."

Karkat stared into her eyes, slightly confused. This was probably the most serious thing he'd ever heard come out of her mouth.

"Terezi—" The bell rang before he could say what he wanted to. He looked down at his barely touched lunch and got up. "I know I'm not the only one that's f***ing messed up. I'm sure you need help as well."

"Thanks Karkat. But not as much as you." Terezi grinned at him as they headed to separate classes. Of course she couldn't resist poking fun. But…that whole conversation was kind of out of character for her. He really wasn't sure what to make of it. Although the way she acted did make sense because of most of their mutual friends being dead. With their only alive mutual friend Gamzee arrested, of course.

Karkat stared at the ground as he made his way back to class. Maybe mindless education would help keep his mind off of all that s***. He hoped it would. It probably wouldn't.

**==Be Terezi**

Terezi went to the art room after lunch and there sat her painting. She rushed over to it and took a big inhale to make sure it was dry, and not messed up. Thank god it was. She got out some black and a thin brush. She quickly did a signature on the bottom right corner. There. Now it was done.

She should've invited Karkat to come with her to see it. She knew he would've loved it. One of the art teachers, Ms. Provenza, walked in and smiled at Terezi.

"I see you finished your project."

Terezi grinned back. "Yup. Took me a couple hours though."

"May I ask why you rushed it?" Ms. Provenza asked.

"Just a feeling that I had." Terezi lapsed into silence as she took in deep breaths through her nose so she could admire the painting.

Ms. Provenza nodded and walked away. She was a shy woman, and didn't make unnecessary conversation. Which was nice at times, especially now.

Terezi walked over to Dave's bright red car. It was very hard to miss, because of its alluring smell.

"You ok Dave?" Terezi leaned over the side of the car. It was a convertible, and had the windows down as well as the top. She noticed him grimace slightly and she pulled back so she was hovering slightly above the surface of the car.

"Yeah. Only thing is…well there's this girl I kind of like…"

"Oooh! What's her name?" Terezi grinned.

"I'm not telling you, I just want advice. How should I ask a girl out?"

"Well… If it were me, I'd want something colorful and showy! I don't know much about other girls. But either way it's just best to ask. Most girls, if they like you, will say yes" She tipped her head to the side and grinned wider.

"Alright. Terezi, will you go out with me?"

"What?" Terezi was so shocked that she forgot she was supposed to be hovering over the car so she wouldn't smudge it.

"Will You. Go Out. With me?" Dave enunciated each word carefully.

"I don't know, Dave…" Terezi looked at him with worriedly.

"Please?" His poker face, his last line of defense, cracked. He had an expression on his face that was utterly broken, and full of pain. It showed just how much she didn't know about him.

"Alright. But you can't wear your shades!" She pointed at him when she said you, attempting to cheer him up.

"Then neither can you." A smirk crossed his face. The poker face was back up. There was the Dave she knew.

"But Daaaaave!"

"Nope. C'mon, I'll drive you home."

"Thanks Dave, but I'm waiting for Latula. I can't make her turn around halfway here!" She exclaimed, laughing.

"Alright. See ya." He did a weird two fingered wave and drove away.

As soon as he left her smile slipped. She sat on the cement block at the end of the parking space, and waited until the parking lot was empty.

And then waited some more. She looked down at the cement and sighed as she stood up. She extended her cane and started walking. She'd probably crash at Latula's place today. She hadn't done that recently, so she wouldn't feel like a burden. Normally Terezi wouldn't care about something like that, but Latula was stressed enough as it was. She had to take care of her fiancé, work two jobs, and clean the house. It was a small house, but she had to cook, wash dishes, do laundry, everything. Whenever Terezi went over she would help all she could, but Latula always did a better job.

Latula was everything Terezi wasn't and more. Latula was perfect, Terezi just…wasn't. Plus Latula was awesome. Even her glasses were cooler.

Terezi sighed again as she waited to cross an intersection. Sometimes all her troubles seemed to weigh her down.

"Hey girl, you need a ride?" A suspicious smelling man in his forties asked her from a car. Another man sat next to him, and they were both pretty buff.

"I can find my own way." Terezi grinned sharkily at the men. That normally scared off pedophiles and the like.

"Are you sure you don't want a ride?" The voice had a slightly more menacing quality to it. Although he still had a friendly smile.

"No, I'm quite goo—"

She was cut off by a gun shot. She looked up as the two men started arguing over a gun. And then it was suddenly pointed at her, and it went off again. Her body rocked with the blast, and she fell to the ground as the car sped off.

She lay there and groaned. With shaking hands she pulled out her cell phone and dialed 911.

"911 what's your emergency?"

"Yes, I've been-" she paused to cough "-shot. I think in the chest?" She coughed again. "I think I'm" more coughing "coughing up blood?" There was wonder in her voice. She'd never been injured this badly. How was she able to talk? How was she able to do anything?

She gasped as raw pain throbbed in her chest, and then slumped over when it became too much.

"Ma'am? Ma'am!? What's your location? MA'AM?!" The operator frantically tried to get the attention of her caller. She looked at the phone worriedly, and hung up. She was hoping another witness would call in soon. Her waiting wouldn't be in vain.

**A/R: Funny how simple decisions could make a huge difference. If she had just gone with Dave, she probably wouldn't have died (well until later). Next chapter shall be a montage of all the dead people getting used to the game! Maybe. I haven't decided yet. Only 5 (technically 4. "That guy" mentioned earlier that one isn't dying, remember?) deaths left to go! Oh, I finally got new internet, it's really fast and nice. On another note, homestuckTroll, a follower of this story, has created a story based off of this one! You guys should go check it out! It's called X.**


	39. Chapter 39

**Chapter 39**

**== Be Aradia**

Aradia sat crouched on a rock, looking out over a forest. The dark sky didn't affect her vision at all, trolls could see in the dark.

_Aradia, contact the cat-troll._

The cat-troll? Nepeta? Why did the voices want her contact that one?

She waited a few moments to see if they would respond, but they didn't. She stood slowly. She knew she would listen to them, of course she would. They were never wrong and never misled her.

She brought up the opaque contact screen with ease and found the name arsenicCatnip. She clicked it, and ignored the following message about if she was sure she wanted to do this. She found that if she ignored it that it would go away.

AC: :33 *ac blinks her eyes sleepily* hello?

AA: hell0 Nepeta. I'm s0rry t0 b0ther y0u, but have y0u been c0ntacted by a man with white text?

AC: :33 oh yeah! He was nice!

AA: have y0u f0und y0ur h0me?

AC: :33 yeah! But I didn't really get much sl33p last night…

AA: hmm. W0uld y0u all0w me t0 telep0rt t0 y0u s0 I can attempt t0 remedy the pr0blem?

AC: :33 of course, Pawradia! **(note: I tried to find Nepeta's nickname for her in canon, but couldn't. If you know it please tell me!)**

Aradia minimized the chat on the screen and brought back up Nepeta's profile. She clicked teleport and vanished. She didn't particularly like the sensation of teleporting, but she had gotten used to it.

When the color returned to the world, she was standing in a cave. It was bathed in red light, but she didn't take much more notice in her surroundings.

"C-can we talk?" Nepeta attempted. Her face brightened and she jumped, grinning. Even though her face was bright, she could see the bags underneath her eyes.

"So, where do you sleep?" Aradia asked.

"On these pawsome furs!" Nepeta pointed down and two black skins. Aradia frowned slightly.

"That is probably the problem. Have you been having terrible nightmares lately?"

"Oh…yeah." Nepeta looked down. She seemed embarrassed.

"That's because you weren't sleeping in your recooperacoon."

"My what?" Nepeta looked up, instantly curious.

"Recooperacoon. It's this thing over here." She pointed to the 'coon. It was shaped vaguely like a cat, with an opening at the top. Cat ears extended from the edge against the wall.

"That thing?" Nepeta scrunched up her nose. "I'm supposed to sleep in there?"

"Yes. It's more comfortable than you'd think. But be careful, it stains clothes. I'll leave now so you can get a good sleep."

"Thanks Aradia!" Nepeta waved as Aradia walked out of the cave. She looked around to get her bearings.

It looked like she was in the forest she was looking over earlier.

_Aradia, contact the newly entered trolls._

Aradia glanced back at the cave and walked to a more secluded place.

"Which trolls?" She asked the voices.

_The jade-blood troll, the spider-troll, the fuchsia blood seadweller, the horse-troll, the teal blood, and the bull-troll. _

"That's a lot… all of them have entered?"

_Contact them immediately._

"Any specific order?"

The voices didn't answer. She assumed that there wasn't. She took a deep breath and decided to contact Tavros first. She knew him the best out of all the trolls, and he was the nicest one.

AA: Tavr0s.

AT: oH, uH,,,hEY ARADIA

AA: hell0. H0w l0ng have y0u been in game?

AT: uMMM, a COUPLE OF DAYS,,, i THINK.

AA: I ap0l0gize f0r n0t getting t0 y0u s00ner.

AT: gETTING TO ME?

AA: I'm g0ing t0 telep0rt t0 y0u. Please wait a few minutes.

AT: w-WAIT!

Aradia clicked teleport and in a flash she was in a clearing. There was one other person in the same clearing, Vriska Serket. Tavros was sitting on the ground and Vriska was smiling down at him with her arms crossed.

"Well, well, well. Was little Tavvie here calling for help?" Vriska grinned.

"Excuse me, Vriska. Both of you have been here for several days, yes?"

"Yeah." Vriska flipped her hair and faced Aradia.

"Have you found your respective hives?"

"Uhh…Hives?" Tavros spoke up timidly.

"I see. Have you been contacted by a man that uses white text?"

"Uhh—"

"No." Vriska cut off the younger boy.

Aradia glared at her.

"Has a person with an unknown username tried to contact you?"

"Uhh…Yeah!" Tavros said from the ground.

"I'm going to need you to respond to him. He will tell you everything you need to know. If you have any questions, please message me." Aradia quickly teleported away. She didn't want to stay there. Every time she saw Vriska she got even angrier than the time before. It was weird; at first she wasn't angry at all. She never felt much emotion, so it was strange to be feeling something after all this time. She didn't want to act on her emotions, so the farther away she kept herself, the better. Even if that meant abandoning poor Tavros.

She blinked and hurried to contact the next person before the voices started to get angry. That had happened before, and it wasn't good.

GA: Yes?

AA: hell0 Kanaya. I've c0me t0 help y0u get used t0 the game.

GA: Is That Correct? Will You Teleport To Me In That Case?

AA: actually, I was ab0ut t0 ask y0u if I c0uld telep0rt t0 y0u.

GA: By All Means.

Aradia was there in the blink of an eye. Yet again, there were two people there. This time the other person was a human.

"Who is this?" Aradia asked.

"My friend Rose. She has entered the game as well."

"Is that true?" Aradia cocked her head. She wasn't asking them. She was asking the voices.

_It is none of your concern._

She nodded and turned her attention back to the conversation at hand.

"Have either of you been contacted by a man with white text?"

"I have." Rose spoke up.

Kanaya gave her a strange look. "I don't believe I have."

"Have you been asked to join a conversation with someone with an unknown username?"

Kanaya shook her head.

"He told me that I was supposed to contact these spirits." Rose spoke up. "He also told me there was a home somewhere on here with everything I need in it, but…"

"Spirits?" Aradia's head snapped up.

"Yeah. Some things with tentacles? I wouldn't worry about it. He said that I wouldn't come in contact with them until later."

Aradia nodded. "When he contacts you, Kanaya, follow his advice."

"May I ask why?" Kanaya asked.

"He's helping us win the game, so we can get out. He's all-knowing as well." Rose answered.

Kanaya looked like she wanted to say something more, but thought better of it.

Aradia nodded and waved goodbye as she walked away.

Just three more and she go back to her rocks and digging. Three more chores in the way, and she would finish them as quick as she could.

**A/R: Kinda short, I know. Sorry about that. Anyways, it's sort of montage-y. In a way. Bluh. Random stats: (according to Word) about 60,000 words, exactly 266 pages, about 3,000 paragraphs, about 5,000 lines. It's probably different on Fanfiction.**


	40. Chapter 40

**Chapter 40**

**A/R: Aw crap I forgot to mention last chapter that this is gonna be a recap. Sorry 'bout that.**

**==Be—**

Nope. Recap.

When was the last time we did a recap? Darn I'm gonna have to go check. It seems it was chapter 23… So long ago…

Alright! So we left off on a Monday, right? So the same day was Jade and Meulin and Nepeta fixing dinner together and then watching anime. Not much happened besides that, except that they met Bec.

Tuesday: This day was skipped because I didn't feel like writing it.

Wednesday: Rose and Kanaya meet in real life! And Feferi started attending school on this day. Dave ate lunch with Rose and Kanaya, and Rose stole his sunglasses. The kids next to them saw his eyes, and Dave threatened them. Then Rose and Dave got in an argument, and they got detention because they were late to class. Then after school (I'm assuming after they finished detention) Dave and Rose met up with Karkat and Nepeta and Equius and Terezi. Karkat gave Dave John's phone number and Rose texted him, informing John of their usernames. Then they met up in the game, and got the notification form the game and everything. They have yet to meet up with Jade in game. And then they got off because of Rose's "feelings," and they found their mother not breathing. She's still in the hospital on life-support, I believe. They met John in the hospital…but of course.

Thursday: All the trolls finally meet up in game! Woo! Everyone met everyone else, they all teleported to the same place, and completed the first objective. The same day, John got Dave and Rose to see their mom, and they found her to still be in a coma. Which she's still in. Still.

Friday: Nepeta went to Terezi's house after school to look at her artwork and get a general idea of what to do for the project. After she found what she wanted she left and Karkat texted her, with plans for a date.

Saturday: Well… we all know what happens here. Nepeta's and Karkat's date at the laser tag place. Then the creepy guys chasing them through the streets, and then shooting them and killing poor Nepeta. Somehow, she ended up inside the game. Karkat called the police and then was questioned by them, but was released back home.

Sunday: Sollux called Karkat and told him to go on the game. He did, after protesting some. And then Nepeta in game messaged him. He was convinced it was someone trying to impersonate her, but he was sort of convinced when she mentioned Aradia, and how she had been sucked into the game too. Then Nepeta found him and tackle-pounced him, and he was mostly convinced because she really was acting like Nepeta. Then he turned off the monitor, and when he turned it back on she was gone and wouldn't answer to his messaging. So he logged out. The same day, Sollux was shot.

Sollux was walking home from Fef's house when he was shot. When he ended up in the game he was greeted by Aradia. He teleported to her and she taught him a few basics of the game. Then he was contacted by white text guy! And was told to find his hive, so he did, with Aradia's help.

On the same day, Nepeta was also contacted by the white text guy. She found her home in a cave and gained her strife specibus! She didn't know about the recooperacoon, so she slept on the furs instead. That couldn't have been very comfortable…

Monday: Tavros went to school for the first time in a long time. I think it's been what, a week? Dunno. So he wheeled (?) himself to school, and met Gamzee along the way, who took pity on the poor guy and helped him. After the school day was over, he was killed and Gamzee witnessed his last moments. And then Aradia contacted Tavros… oh dang it. I forgot about that… I'm sorry. I don't have the best memory… Anyways, since Gamzee was there when Tav died, the police were very suspicious and took him in for questioning. They couldn't really get him on any charges, but he had a pretty bad record and the officer knew to test him for drugs. When the results came back, they knew they could keep him in jail. What even is the sentence for that? Shouldn't he be sent to juvenile hall because of how many times it's happened? Or at least rehab?

Anyways, a police officer, Larry, got the idea from a guy (who I shall refer to as tg—for "that guy"), to question the parents about activities they did in their free time at home. And after he left, Gamzee was brought in. And ^^ that happened.

Also on the same day was Nepeta's funeral. Afterwards, Meulin joined the game, but she found out that she was an unknown user because she used the same disc as a player already in game (meaning they're permanently there). And she was sent to the Dream Bubble level. She logged off after exploring and went to talk with Jade. She taught her the alphabet and after Jade finished fixing lunch, Meulin went back to her room to play more sburb. She tried chatting with other people in the level, but it didn't work out… And then she explored in a different direction, along the cliffs. And ran into Kurloz.

Tuesday: Terezi painted her painting of Nepeta. I'll describe it when Karkat sees it, later. Anyways, she met Jade and she confessed her feelings for Dave to her. Jade couldn't figure out who the girl he liked was, and suspected it was Terezi, but she dispelled her fears by saying she thought of him as a friend. The only problem is, Dave heard her saying this.

And then everything gets confusing when the montage happens… everything.

John was killed on Tuesday, Kanaya on Wednesday, Equius on Thursday, Feferi on Friday, Vriska on Friday too, and finally, Rose on Saturday.

Saturday: The events of this day are probably the most complicated, so I'm not going to explain the rest. Rose had a "feeling" about those guys out in the tan sedan. So she went out to see what was going on, and the guys shot her. The police officer that was confronting them, shot back at them, but missed as the car drove off. On the same day, probably earlier in the day, Larry the police officer made his subordinates play the game so they could find out what groups the kids were in, and the names of the kids that were still alive in those groups. (They knew the usernames because the parents had let them look at the computers, but they weren't allowed to take them) Larry got frustrated from lack of results, and headed back to his office. In his office was tg, of course.

Tg offered to tell Larry the kids' names for the most expensive horse painting in the world. Larry said no and tried to find out what tg's name was, to no avail. Instead tg gave him what could be a fake number, but maybe not. You never know…

Still on the same day, Karkat and Terezi had a conversation, and they basically both said they were there for one another, even though they weren't dating anymore. Terezi went to talk to Dave, and he asked her out. He offered her a ride home, but she refused. Instead, she walked home by herself. And was killed.

Sunday: Aradia went on her mission to contact the trolls that have been killed… I really feel bad for forgetting the fact that Aradia already contacted Tavros… Later I'll edit it so that's not there anymore.

**A/R: Alright! Finished! This took awhile… I probably should've started it earlier but I didn't feel like it. The other day, I was sifting through the dregs of youtube… and I discovered that people actually legitimately ship different Disney characters… They made videos for the ships and everything. I really don't understand some fandoms… Oh! This has been there for a couple of chapters, but I kept forgetting to put it in the note. 100 reviews! Hooray!**


	41. Chapter 41

**Chapter 41**

**==Be Karkat**

After a long weekend, Karkat didn't really want to go back to school. He had been hit hard by the news of Terezi's death, she was probably the only friend he had left besides Gamzee. Thankfully he was coming back to school soon, tomorrow. Karkat had thought about not coming to school today, but something propelled him to school. He took the bus instead of walking, simply not feeling like it.

When the bus sputtered to a stop in front of the school, he stood and shuffled along with the other students. He walked into the lobby of the school and his vision narrowed on a new painting hanging directly in his line of sight. His jaw dropped as he looked at it. Words couldn't describe the beauty and feeling in that painting. Students brushed past him, as he stood in shock.

The painting was a scene in a fantasy forest, with Nepeta centered in the middle, happily dancing in a flower filled meadow. She was in a light green dress and barefoot, and without her hat. A beam of light shone on her and tiny fairies danced with her. The woods surrounding her were dark and filled with beasts, but it he got the feeling that they couldn't touch the girl in the middle. He walked closer to get a better look and saw Terezi 's signature on the corner. He had no idea she was this good of a painter… When did she even find time to do this?

The bell rang and he started, hurrying to his locker, his mind still on the painting.

When he got to his first period, there were kids whispering.

"What?!" He yelled at the kids that looked at him and whispering. They stopped whispering as soon as he yelled.

"Well…did you hear that they linked the deaths to that game?" A guy that was probably used to Karkat yelling at him spoke up.

"What f***ing game?" These people were testing his patience.

"Sburb. They're trying to figure out the names of the people in the groups that the shooters are targeting, but no one's come forward about it." The kid shrugged.

Karkat sat down in his seat heavily. No wonder all his friends were dying, they must be in one of the groups that were being targeted. Wait… didn't that mean he would be targeted too? He reflected on that thought numbly. He didn't want to die. And yet… the last time he had gone on the game, yesterday, all of the people that had died so far were online. It was unnerving. He had even been contacted by Terezi. That was something he never wanted to have happen again. She'd wanted him to tell Dave sorry for breaking their date, or some s***.

He shook his head. Even if it was true that he would still exist in the game, he didn't want it to be that way. He didn't want his family members to believe that he was dead, as he had with all his friends. And even though they were technically still alive, he still felt the ache of their loss. He couldn't talk with them, couldn't take advantage of them being there for him. It was terrifying to be alone. And even if Gamzee was a s***ty friend, at least he was something. His happy-go-lucky attitude would help Karkat through this.

Karkat put his chin in his hand and stared at the teacher, only half-listening to the lesson. All he knew was that it was something to do with circles. He was startled when the bell rang. He hadn't expected for the period to go by so quick. He'd thought it would drag by, like it always did when he was bored and waiting for something to happen.

But as it continued to ring he realized that it wasn't the bell, it was just the phone. In his bored state, it had sounded like the bell. He watched the teacher pick it up. She made a few noises, a few yeses. Then she looked up directly at Karkat.

"He'll be right there." She hung up the phone. "Karkat, please go to the office."

He frowned and stood up. He'd been to the principal's office far more times than he could count, but didn't know why he would be called now. He hadn't done anything wrong recently; at least he didn't think he had.

He walked down the silent halls uneasily. It was always weird passing the different classrooms, some empty and some filled with students. Some were loud and others almost silent. There were a few people out in the hallway holding passes in their hands. They were walking and whispering with each other, or just walking by themselves.

Karkat finally reached his destination, the principal's office. He opened the door to find all three secretaries on the phone. The one nearest to him waved for him to have a seat in the unbearably hard chairs. It seemed like they found the most uncomfortable chairs on earth and put them in here just so the students were awkwardly squirming in their seats, trying to get comfortable. But today, Karkat sat motionless. He didn't have anything to be ashamed of.

One of the secretaries set down her phone. "The principal will see you now." Then she picked the phone right back up. Sometimes he wondered if they did anything other than listen to the dial tone.

He walked into the brightly lit room that was the principal's office. It had the picture of the last principal on the wall behind him, as well as the first. The room was white, just like the rest of the school, but the floor was carpeted. The principal stood behind his desk, next to his chair. Next to him were two men, both in police uniforms.

"Wha-?" Karkat began.

"Mr. Vantas, please have a seat." The Principal said.

He grumbled and sat in the wooden chair.

"These men would like to ask you a few questions. We already have parental consent, so don't worry about that. You don't have to answer them, but we would prefer it if you did."

Karkat nodded slowly and the principal left.

"Hello Mr. Vantas. I'm Officer Brown, and this is…"

"Officer Maybe."

"Maybe?!" Officer Brown said incredulously. Did this guy not know the name of his fellow officer?

"Yes. Now, we've been informed you play a computer game called Sburb?"Maybe said.

"Yeah, why?"

"I'm sure you've heard of the shootings, and the fact that they're connected to certain groups in the game." Maybe continued.

"Yeah. And I'm in one of the f***ing groups. I already figured that s*** out! I didn't need you to point it out to me like I'm some idiot. Now is that all? I'd like to get back to my life, where I have no more friends thanks to you bulge suckers."

"What's a bulge sucker…? Never mind I don't want to know." Officer Larry shook his head. "And how the hell is that our fault?"

"You haven't found out who's doing this! All you've been able to f***ing figure out is that it's connected to the game! There's only five more of us! When are you going to do anything to stop it?"

"Whoa, kid, calm down. That's what we're here for. Officer Maybe here is helping us to find the players that are left. You say there's five more left? What are their names?"

"Don't call me a kid! I'm not a f***ing kid!"

"Mr. Vantas. I know this is hard, but can you please cooperate? We're trying to help here." Maybe stated.

"I thought you knew the names of the other kids?" Brown said to Maybe.

"Nope, just this one." Maybe smiled knowingly.

Brown looked furious at this, but he took in a deep breath and calmed down.

"Mr. Vantas, please tell us the names of those that are left." His frustration was leaking into his voice.

"How will that help you?" Karkat spat.

"We have our reasons." Officer Brown folded his arms.

"We need their names so they can be protected by the police." Maybe said.

Brown gave him a dirty look, but looked back Karkat expectantly.

"Dave Strider and Jade Harley are the last two left of the human group. Gamzee Makara and I are left of the troll group. I know there's one more, but I forget his name. I think he's a guy though. Can I leave now?"

"Yes, but we may need you to come back in for questioning later. If you remember anything else don't hesitate to call us."

Karkat nodded and stood, and went to go back to his classroom. After he exited the room, he went to the secretary to get a pass. She was still on the phone, but she still filled it out while making noises of affirmation into the phone.

When he entered the classroom he handed the note to the teacher and sat back down. The teacher promptly threw the note away, after looking it over. What was the point of the stupid note if she was just going to throw it away?

Karkat shook his head and settled down in his seat to wait for the day to end.

**== Be Eridan**

Eridan ate lunch by himself in a corner of the cafeteria. He didn't know anyone here, but he always ate alone anyways. He was used to it.

"Can I sit here?" A girl asked him, gesturing to a seat across from him.

"Go ahead."

"Whoa awesome accent!" She smiled at him.

He just grunted and continued to eat. The girl continued attempting to make small talk until some of her friends came and sat down next to her. Then she ignored Eridan for the rest of the lunch. He glared sullenly at his food as he stood up to throw it away. He had lost his appetite.

He left the school grounds, not wanting to go to his next few classes. He had skipped many times before, and while he had gotten caught almost just as many times, he had never actually gotten in trouble for it.

He walked down the street, bored out of his mind. What was he supposed to do now? In a way this was even more boring than being in school.

He decided to go to the more dangerous part of town. Maybe he could beat up some people to release his anger and frustration.

"Hey, kid. You got any money?" A rough looking guy came up along side of him. Eridan stayed facing away, not even looking at him.

"Tons." He muttered under his breath.

"What was that, punk?" He yelled.

"I said I have tons." Eridan said louder, facing the guy.

"You going to hand it over quietly?" The guy brought out a gun and cocked it.

"No." He smiled darkly.

Eridan threw a punch at the guys face. Because of all the rings on his fingers, his face was bleeding pretty badly. He punched another fist into the guy's stomach and he went down. Eridan kicked his head to knock him out and keep him down.

"Peh." He spat at him. "Too easy."

A gun clicked next to his ear. The bullet in the chamber was sent flying into Eridan's head.

"How's that for easy." The owner of the gun said grimly.

**A/R: Man this week is just not my week…I injured two fingers on my left hand and I chipped a tooth. All three injuries were for incredibly stupid reasons… The tooth was because I was eating chips (and it's not a small piece of tooth that's gone), and I slammed both my fingers in a door. They were different doors too… I'm just very accident prone I guess. Note: I've only been to the principal's office once, and that was in elementary school, so the whole thing with Karkat might not be all that accurate. I do know however, that it seems like the secretaries are always on the phone. That has to be some universal constant or something. **


	42. Chapter 42

**Chapter 42**

**(TW: Blood, and lots of it)**

**==Be Dave**

When the news announced that Terezi had been killed, he didn't believe it at first. Why was this happening? He'd finally, _finally _gotten up the courage to ask her out, and she gotten killed. Not to mention his mom was still in the hospital, and his sister died too! This was more than he could put up with. At least Bro seemed to be lying low. He hadn't bothered him all weekend, something he was very grateful for. He didn't think he could've mustered up the energy to fight him. He had barely held back tears at his sister's death, and that was only because he was so used to not showing any emotion. With Terezi's death, something broke inside of him. He wasn't the same anymore.

When Karkat approached him after school ended, he didn't even bother trying to get him angry, like he normally did. It was a fun past time, especially since the guy got angry so easily.

"What?" Dave said tiredly.

"Terezi messaged me last night. She said to tell you that she was sorry she stood you up? Something s*** like that."

"Wait, what?" His brain lodged onto the first sentence only. "Terezi messaged you?"

"Yeah. On Sburb." Karkat started to walk away, but Dave grabbed the back of his jacket.

"What the f***, Strider?" The much shorter boy exclaimed, his legs trying to walk on air. Dave would've been amused if it hadn't been for his mind still trying to catch up on what Karkat was saying.

"What do you mean she messaged you in Sburb?" Dave narrowed his eyes behind his glasses.

15 minutes later, Dave was giving Karkat a ride home. He listened to his long explanations with incredulity. How could it be possible? Then again, he hadn't been on the game in a while. She could be there, waiting for him to log on.

"I'm still not quite convinced that it's really the real them. Nepeta won't even answer my messages anymore…"

Dave remained silent. He was thinking about how quickly he could get home so he could go on the game. Maybe Terezi would talk to him. He had to get home as soon as possible… His thoughts trailed off as he thought he heard people screaming.

"Dave are you listening?" Karkat yelled. "F***, I said not to go this way!"

"What the f***?" He muttered, trying to get a better look. Somehow it had just gotten unsettlingly dark. He glanced up at the sky and saw storm clouds, so he pushed the button to get the hood up. "What's the hell is going on?"

He took off his sunglasses so he could see the commotion better. In the corner of his vision he saw Karkat turn his head toward him with interest, despite the situation.

"S***." Yup. They were screwed.

**==Be Gamzee**

Gamzee leaned up against the wall of the cell, sitting on a metal bench. He had a small smile playing on his lips. The cell was clean, but it still had a disgusting odor that smelled like vomit and…well, piss. None of this mattered to Gamzee. The dripping of water from the faucet of the sink didn't bother him either, annoying as it was.

He was feeling as though he was lacking something and his easy-going manner seemed off. The guard outside of the cells noticed it, and looked nervous. The guard looked like he was using the counter between them as a shield. Even though he had no weapon, and no way to get out of the cell, he was still unnerved. And there was a good reason for that.

Over the course of the last few days his face paint had faded and all but disappeared. His appearance had become even more derelict, with several questionable stains on his clothes. His hair was matted with dirt and tangled beyond repair.

He'd asked for more clown make-up, but the guard determinedly denied him that pleasure. Gamzee suspected he was afraid of clowns, such a strange fear. Clowns were always happy, and made other people happy. He couldn't possibly understand why someone wouldn't like clowns. Unless of course, it was him they were scared of. Then of course, they had every right to be afraid. His grin grew malicious in the terrible lighting.

Maybe he would get out of here today instead of tomorrow. He tilted his head to look at the ceiling, where a camera was fixed. His grin grew wider, and the bloodlust in his eyes shone clearly. He turned his head sharply to look outside the cell. The man was making small noises of unrestrained fear. He could see him quaking, and he hastily drew his gun, pointing it at Gamzee.

"Hey, there, motherf***er, why are you all up and disturbing the peace?" He said quietly, barely audible."You aren't worthy of my presence!" The next line he shouted, suddenly jumping up and grabbing the bars of the cell.

The man hurriedly called for reinforcements, while Gamzee laughed. He easily tore the bars apart and slipped his slim body through the bars. He tore two of the bars entirely out of the frame and brought them along with him.

He towered over the guard, who looked scared out of his mind. He fired the gun, probably on accident, and Gamzee fell to the floor, spewing blood.

The guy breathed out, relieved. He wouldn't ever have to deal with that creepy guy anymore. A bloodied hand slammed on the counter top. The man jumped in his seat, and he backed away as fast as he could.

"Think you can get rid of me that easily?" He whispered. "No mother***in' way!" He tore the counter top from its place, tossing it aside.

The man huddled in the corner, hiding his face. "H-how did you…?" Out came his hesitant and shaking voice.

Gamzee laughed loudly. "Clowns aren't that easy to kill, motherf***er." He said the first part amiably, but the second part he growled out as he slung a pole from the jail cell he had picked up.

As Gamzee walked away, he didn't look back. Blood was pouring out of his wound, but he didn't even feel it. He just kept continuing, past the extra guards, past the late reinforcements the man had sent for, until the whole place was a blood bath. He walked into the main hall, where there were a bunch of cells on multiple levels. In the ceiling there were a couple windows where he could see the quickly darkening sky through them.

Gamzee laughed darkly.

"Welcome, to the Dark Carnival, motherf***ers!" He shouted to the ceiling, the warped bodies of guards and prisoners alike lying around him.

**== Holy s*** this is creepy. Can I be someone else?**

I agree, who to you want to be?

**== Hmm…how about Terezi?**

Alright, sounds fine to me.

Terezi was sitting in her tree-hive, astounded. There were so many beautiful colors; she didn't even know what to do with herself. There were also these awesome plushies that were shaped like dragons. She didn't really understand what they were or why she had them, but they were awesome. There were several awesome psychedelic rugs on the floor, and random chalk drawings on the wall. There were some books lying here and there that she hadn't looked over yet, she was too busy checking out all the other cool stuff. There was a computer with a T on the back, and it looked pretty new. There was also a weird looking thing in one corner, filled with some green substance.

The computer was beeping and she went on to see who was bothering her. Honestly, they could've just messaged her. The computer was actually harder to use than the…whatever it was. She didn't really want to think about it, it was like was inside her brain. She wondered if it could read her thoughts. She shook her head. That was preposterous. She had much more important things to do, but she couldn't just ignore that little nagging voice in the back of her head.

She concentrated on the screen in front of her, and saw it was Aradia. Her of all people! Did she even have a computer? Didn't she say something about not having a hive or something?

-apocalypseArisen began trolling gallowsCalibrator at 18:04—

AA: Hell0 Terezi.

GC: SOM3TH1NG WRONG W1TH TH3 CH4T :?

AA: N0. I just wanted t0 send y0u t0 this site.

AA: tinyurl (. com) /l3kzd8l

GC: WH4T 1S TH1S?

AA: It's a dicti0nary f0r all the tr0ll terms y0u may need t0 kn0w.

GC: NO 1T'S NOT.

GC: 1 DON'T KNOW HOW YOU GOT TH1S, BUT IT 1S STR4NG3LY 3NT3RT41N1NG.

AA: …I ap0l0gize. I g0t that fr0m S0llux I believe.

GC: 1S TH4T SUPPOS3D TO B3 D4VE 4ND M3? :/

AA: I'm n0t sure…

AA: Let me see if I can get the actual site fr0m him.

AA: Please wait.

GC: 4LR1GHT. 1'LL JUST S1T H3R3 4ND W4TCH TH1S.

AA: Here it is h0pefully. tinyurl mls9hqd

GC: TH4T'S NOT 1T 31TH3R. WH3R3 TH3 H3LL 1S SOLLUX G3TT1NG TH3S3 4W3SOM3 G1FS?

AA: I d0n't kn0w. He says he has 0ne m0re t0 sh0w y0u bef0re he sends the real 0ne.

GC: WH4T 1S 1T?

AA: …tinyurl ljdkfa6

AA: Is that in y0ur handwriting?

GC: 1T LOOKS L1K3 1T.

AA: here's the real 0ne: tinyurl kcsdudk

GC: TH4NKS.

AA: It's n0 pr0blem.

-gallowsCallibrator ceased trolling apocalypseArisen at 18:17-

Terezi read through it, even though it was boring as hell. Some of the stuff made no sense whatsoever. Why was there separate terms and everything for the trolls? It was strange for a game to be that detailed.

She went on troll google—which is apparently is how everything is referred to that doesn't have a specific name in the troll "language"—and searched the term troll. She didn't come up with much besides internet trolls as well as the generic troll that most people thought as soon as they heard the word. She frowned at the screen, trying to think of different search terms she could use.

A site caught her attention; it had the story of some people called the ancestors? She was curious, so she clicked on it and began to read.

_This is a story of prejudice and hate, and unrequited love; a story of back stabbings, and friendship through the ages. It has been passed down through ages of time, although it is rumored that some of the characters are still alive. _

Intrigued by the strange preface, she leaned closer to the screen, trying to make sure she was smelling right. She licked the screen and scrolled down. This was… what was this? Wasn't someone way back in her family a famous lawyer, just like this legislacerator, Redglare? What was her name again? Hadn't it been Trutia? Or something like that…

Her blood ran cold when she saw a parallel between the most famous case Reglare had prosecuted and the most famous case of Trutia. Both had been new lawyers, but very talented. Both of the defendants were upper class citizens, and both had been pirating, in a way. The one Trutia had been prosecuting was lying about her taxes. This Mindfang was an actual pirate, with a ship and everything. Both Mindfang and…Neepaa? She thought that was her name, but it probably wasn't. Anyways, Mindfang and Neepaa had both been very manipulative, and had somehow convinced their respective courts that they were innocent. Not only that, but that Reglare/Trutia was guilty. And in both cases, she was killed.

There were a whole bunch of other stories involved in there as well, but none really caught her interest like this one. She decided to bookmark the page and come back to it later. Maybe she could make better sense of it then.

She pushed away from the computer and grimaced at the "recooperacoon." She really didn't want to sleep in it… But she really had no choice. It was either there or on the floor, and that did not smell particularly comfortable.

**A/R: ****42! ****For their names I used latin for both, of course I changed them slightly to fit the 6 letter rule. They were originally Trutina and Nepa. I did this because…well. They had to have names for the human version in order to compare similarities to the troll's ancestors. Don't worry; there is a point to this. I just haven't fully figured out what it is yet. On another note, I'm looking for someone to edit this before I post the chapters. Please message me if you're interested, but keep in mind that I'll need your email. **


	43. Chapter 43

**Chapter 43 **

**==Be Karkat**

Dave stared out the windshield. He couldn't believe his eyes—

**== I said Karkat! Be Karkat!**

Well, excuse me for getting confused.

**==How can you even confuse those two?**

…No comment.

Karkat stared at Dave's eyes. They were red. Red! No wonder he never showed them to anyone. It was a little strange, but he was distracted from them as another scream ripped through the air. He had tried to get Dave to turn around when he realized he was just aimlessly driving, and not paying any attention to where he was going. They had passed the outskirts of town, and somehow ended up by a prison. Karkat had heard that it was here, but he'd never actually seen it. Apparently it only held teenagers that were "troubled." He wondered if Gamzee was in there, and if he was ok. Because that was where the screams were coming from.

He shivered as a scream was cut short. The doors burst open and there stood a silhouette of a very tall person, his eyes reflecting in sudden flash of lightning.

"Gamzee?" Karkat whispered. He had never seen Gamzee like this, was he the one causing the screaming? "Oh God."

Dave glanced at him. "How do we get out of here?"

"I don't know." Karkat shook his head. "I don't f***ing know."

He totally wasn't freaking out. His s*** would not be flipped today, no way.

"F***." Karkat glanced over at Dave. For some reason the car wasn't starting.

"How old is this car?" Karkat made a face.

"It's a '96. And I work on it every day, so I don't understand why she's doing this."

"Are you serious right now?"

"What?"

"You call your car a 'she?!' Can you be more clichéd?"

"Well excuse me for liking cars." Dave shook his head, and got out to go to the backseat. "Oh hell no."

"What now?" Karkat groaned.

"My tools aren't in here…I think I left them in the garage."

Karkat face-palmed two times.

**Facepalm x2 combo!**

"Well now what?" Karkat

Dave slumped down in his seat. "We could run, stay in here, or try to calm him down." He motioned to the bloodthirsty clown.

"I don't like our chances with any of them." Karkat sighed. "Gamzee's a surprisingly fast runner when he's motivated."

"You're his friend right? Can't you calm him down?"

"I've never seen him like this; I wouldn't even know the first thing to do in this situation." Karkat shook his head, staring at Gamzee as he tried to find a weak spot in the apparently electric fence.

"So, we stay in here." Dave said determinedly. He flinched at a large crashing noise. Gamzee had broken through the fence.

"F*** f*** f*** f***…" He repeated over and over. "Why did I agree to come with you?" He glared at Dave, and then went back to muttering.

Karkat closed his eyes, maybe if he wished hard enough, this would stop. He couldn't hear anything except for Strider's breathing, heavy and quickening.

He opened his eyes just in time to see Gamzee slam a mangled bar into the hood of the car. He jumped at the noise.

"Oh hell no he did not just do that." Dave said, his voice strained. Karkat glanced at him and he looked furious. He slowly sat up, and grabbed the handle of the door.

"Don't do it, don't leave!" Karkat pleaded.

"Sorry bro. I can't let my baby get hurt." He did his salute/wave thing and left the car.

Karkat huddled in his seat, afraid to watch what was going to happen. He knew—just _knew_—that Dave was going to be killed. What he didn't expect was for Dave to fight back. He was an exceptionally good fighter, and Karkat couldn't even follow his movements. Gamzee seemed lethargic next to him.

But it wouldn't last, soon Dave tired out. Gamzee grinned and struck him down in one blow, spattering the car with blood. Karkat flinched.

He slowly walked over to the door of the car. He dropped the bars and smiled as he punched in the glass. As it shattered, another flash of lightning lit up the sky, and all of the sudden it started pouring.

Gamzee's hair began to get damp, and what was left of his make-up streaked down his face. He reached into the car and pulled Karkat roughly out. There was still glass left in the window frame, and he got several scratches all over him. They instantly began to bleed. He made a muffled noise of pain, and Gamzee tossed him to the ground.

"Hey best frieeeeend!" He said almost cheerfully, with a snide grin.

"Gamzee, this isn't you! Why are you acting like this?" Karkat was as much concerned for his friend as for himself.

"I realized something when I was in that hell-hole." Gamzee paused. "None are you are worthy! None!" He roared.

"Worthy, of what?" Karkat asked shakily.

"Of me, motherf***er." He grinned.

"Gamzee… Please don't do this."

His grin grew wider and he raised one of the bars he had dropped.

Karkat braced himself for impact, before thinking better of it. He stood up, no matter how hard his legs were shaking. He glared at Gamzee.

"No."

"No?" Gamzee gave him a confused look, and his arm dropped down his side.

"I'm your friend and I won't let you become a monster." Karkat stepped forward and hugged the dirty teenager. No matter how many people he killed, no matter how messed up he was, he was still his best friend.

"Karkat?" Gamzee asked, his voice small.

Karkat pulled back and smiled, a rare moment for him. "Come on, let's go home." He glanced back regretfully at Dave. At least he would be in the game now where he could talk to Terezi.

==**Be Dave**

Dave woke up in the game. Even though he'd been expecting it, it was still disconcerting to see people walking around that were of different species. Everything seemed real, even though he knew it was just a game.

A ding sounded in his head and the all too familiar message asking him if he wanted to respond to a chat request. He had jumped at the ding, but accepted it. It was from John.

EB: hey Dave!

EB: are you in the game?

TG: yup. What do I do?

EB: rose told us to talk to this real creepy guy.

EB: everyone calls him the white text guy since he won't tell anyone his name.

TG: don't you want to know how I died?

EB: uh…sure?

TG: I got murdered by creepy-a** clown.

EB: oh, uh… that's nice?

TG: you're d*** right it is.

TG: so how long do I have to wait for this guy?

EB: he claims to be omniscient, so probably right after this conversation is done.

EB: I mean, I guess. I'm not sure how it works.

TG: alright. Bye Egdork.

EB: *sigh* bye Dave.

He closed the chat and leaned up against the side of a building to wait. He frowned slightly at all the people passing by. They were oblivious to the fact that people were actually in the game. As he studied them, he noticed there was less people there than normal. He thought it was probably because of the police warning that had been issued about the game.

He jumped at the ding in his head, yet again. It was frustratingly loud. There was no username…was this the white text guy?

Hello Dave Strider. I see you have already heard of me.

TG: you're the omniscient guy?

That is correct. Now, I have some instructions for you.

TG: what?

You need to find your home in game. Everything in your room/home will be tailored to your interests.

TG: why do I need to find it?

That doesn't matter. Just know it matters.

TG: …

TG: fine. Where is it?

That I can't tell you. You have to find it yourself. Remember that it is tailored to your interests, even the location.

The green box surrounding the words began to disappear.

TG: what does that even mean?

The box vanished as soon as he thought those words. Dave stood up straight and looked around the quaint little village he was currently in. He saw trees in the outskirts of the town, and a little beyond that, some hi-rise buildings. He decided to head in that direction, shaking his head. What was with this place? And just how big was it?

**A/R: Yeah… I'm a little ashamed of my headcanon that Dave is obsessed with cars… But he totally seems like the kind of person that would be like that! Right? Well, that's what I think at least. Thanks to TailsDoll13 for editing this! You're ****awesome!**


	44. Chapter 44

**Chapter 44**

**==Be Jade**

Jade patted Bec absentmindedly. He whined and twisted his head to stare at her with one eye.

"Sorry Bec." She smiled sadly, looking down at wasn't paying attention to him, and he knew it.

Her phone buzzed and she checked it, it was from Meulin.

"_Feeling a little under the weather. Will stay in my room, please don't bother me."_

Jade's frown grew deeper, and she stood up. She picked up her backpack.

"Be good." She said sternly to Bec. "I'll see you after school." She smiled at him, patting his head and scratching his chin.

He barked at her once, and nudged her to the door.

"Bye!" she said brightly. She shot a quick text to Meulin to tell her she was leaving for school.

She hurried out the door to get to the bus stop, which wasn't all that far from the house.

"Hmm that's odd." She said to herself. There was a police car sitting on the other side of the street from the house.

She shrugged it off. Police officers can go wherever they wanted, she didn't mind. Maybe he was there for a reason.

She waited with a couple of other kids in her neighborhood, not noticing the trooper following a couple of minutes later.

After about ten minutes, the bus pulled up and Jade got on after everyone else. She didn't really know anyone, so she sat by herself.

She stared out the window, watching the familiar scenery fly past.

When the bus came to a stop, she jolted in her seat. She hadn't realized they were nearing the school. She hastily stood and grabbed her bag, filing into line after those in the seats in front of her.

She shivered in the wind as she got off the bus. It was getting colder and colder. She glanced up at the clear sky. It had really cleared up fast after that intense storm.

When she walked into the school's lobby she glanced up at Terezi's painting, just like yesterday. It sure was nice that the school appreciated her artwork even after she died.

Jade frowned slightly as she made her way to her locker. She passed several groups of people, who all seemed to be staring and whispering about her. She wondered what it was about her that made her the topic of interest today. She sighed, hoping it would blow over soon. She stopped at her locker to exchange books and stuff her book bag into the tiny space. It barely fit. Why the school made them use lockers, she couldn't understand.

She sighed yet again and walked down the noisy halls to her first period. She passed Karkat once, and their gaze met for a second. He was with one of his friends, Gamzee. They seemed close. She ducked her head and picked up her pace. She wouldn't let this get to her. Not the whispering, not having any more friends, none of it.

At lunch she sat alone. The two people she normally sat with were…dead. She frowned at that word, not liking it one bit. But…glossing it up seemed wrong. Especially since they were such happy people. She missed Feferi and Tavros as much as she did Nepeta.

She stared down at the table, not daring to look up and seeing a whole bunch of people staring at her. She just knew everyone was staring at her, she could feel their gazes. Her eyes burned from unshed tears, but she held them back. She didn't want to be humiliated any further.

"Excuse me, but are you Jade Harley?" A lunch monitor came up to her.

"Yes?" She looked up, squinting to try to see his features clearly. She frowned slightly, she needed new glasses.

"The principal would like to see you." The man held down a hand help her up.

She murmured thanks and took it.

"Would you like to finish your lunch first?" The man seemed genuinely concerned about her wellbeing.

"No, I'm fine." Jade followed after him and tossed her lunch into the trash.

When they entered the office, the man greeted a secretary. She put her phone down and began talking and laughing with him. Jade stayed silent, sat down, and zoned out. She didn't feel like listening, although she did catch a few snippets. Apparently the secretary had two adorable little grandchildren, twins. Although, one had been to the hospital for some reason recently… Jade stared at the random motivational posters, not even reading them.

"Jade, you can go back now." The secretary said, as the lunch monitor left.

She nodded and stood, brushing her skirt down for imaginary dirt.

She walked into the small room that seemed spacious. There was the principal, along with a police officer.

She looked back and forth between the two, confused.

"Please have a seat Jade." He motioned to the chairs. He turned to the police officer. "Do you mind if I stay this time?"

"No, not at all." The officer seemed calm. "I suppose you've heard about the murders being connected to the game Sburb by now, correct?"

Jade nodded. "Yeah…What about it?"

"Well, we have reason to believe that you're in one of the groups that is being targeted."

"Really?!" Jade leaned forward. "So that's why…" She muttered to herself.

"I called you here so you could know that you're under police protection."

"The police car outside my house!" She exclaimed.

"Yes, that was me. I apologize for not telling you sooner, but it couldn't be helped." The man shrugged.

She took a closer look at him. He was young, and in fairly good shape. She couldn't really tell because of his clothes.

"Is that all?" She leaned back, preparing to get up.

"Yes, please make sure to not do anything…brash. It might catch the attention of the killers."

Jade nodded and stood, heading back to the cafeteria. As she walked through the doors, the bell rang and she turned around, heading back to her chemistry class. Of course she would make it all the way there before having to turn around. At least she didn't have to deal with avoiding stares and finding a place to sit once again.

**==Be…some random guy**

I'm taking some random guy to mean that I can chose who I like.

**==I'm going to regret that aren't I.**

A man sat in a newly stolen car, his idiot partner in the seat next to him.

"S*** god***it f***."

"Something wrong, sir?"

"No, nothing, that's why I'm cursing up a storm over here. Of course something's wrong you f***ing idiot!"

"No need to be sarcastic. What happened?"

"Guess what? Our last few targets are being protected by the police."

"Oh. That's bad."

"I know!" He said, frustrated.

"So what do we do now?"

"I don't know…We'll have to distract them or something. Maybe kill someone not on the list?"

"But I don't want to do that! That means we'd be killing someone without a chance of them coming back to life!"

"Yeah, so what. We need something to throw them off, make them think their theory is wrong."

"But won't they still protect them whether we kill more people or not?"

"You got any better ideas?"

"We could…not kill them?"

The man in the driver's seat thumped him over the head. "You _want_ to die?

"Not particularly, no."

"Well that's what's going to happen if we don't finish them off!" He grumbled under his breath, facing the street. "Alright, tonight, go kill one or two people. I don't care who you kill. Don't come back until you do."

The larger man nodded quickly, not wanting to anger his sort-of got out of the car, and his figure faded into the distance.

The man harrumphed, crossing his arms. This just might work.

His phone rang loudly, causing him to startle. He picked it up.

"Hello?"

"I hope you're handling the new situation. Otherwise I will replace you." A menacing voice was on the other side. He didn't beat around the bush, did he…?

"Of course, my lord. I wouldn't dream of letting you down."

"Hmm. I see." He hung up abruptly.

He was definitely a man of few words. The man sighed and turned on the radio, grimacing when it started blasting country on full volume. He switched around between stations before turning it off.

He looked up through the windshield, and that's when he saw her. Jade Harley. He just knew it was her, and thankfully she didn't have that beast she called a dog with her. This was too good to be true. He pulled out a gun, readying it just in case.

**A/R: I'm on a roll! Woo… I feel like I should say that this is much harder than it seems… It takes me all day to write these. I'm not trying to rush it; I'm just in a really good writing mood. ^u^ Oh and I fixed last chapter so the spacing is better now. Or it should be.**


	45. Chapter 45

**Chapter 45**

**==Be Meulin**

She stared at the screen, not daring to move. She had logged off and on several times every day since Kurloz had first appeared. No matter what, he was still there. On his face was an infuriating grin, and he waved to her. Today, she was ready. She would confront him. She determinedly moved towards him, frowning intensely.

UU02: (^._.^) what are mew doing here?

UU05: …

UU02: (^-_-^) kurloz I know that's mew.

UU05: …

UU05: …

The chat box disappeared and Kurloz began signing rapidly. She had to zoom in on the screen to see what he was saying. She responded with her own signing, as well as using the chat box that had been minimized.

UU05: :o)

UU02: (=^・o・^=) heh I stole your nose (=^ω^=)

UU05: :o)

UU05: /3ksvs72 **(A/N: Just know that I normally use tinyurl for all my links)**

UU02: (=^ω^=) yays! You're in a good mood!

UU05: :o?

UU02: (^.^=) maybe you don't know who I am?

UU05: /mcye4zy

UU02: (v._.v) that explains it.

UU05: :o?

UU02: (^・ω・^)ﾉ *it's nothing*

UU05: …

UU05: :o)

UU02: (=^・ェ・^=) well anyways, you're an unknown user too!┏(=^..^=)┛

UU05: *nods*

UU02: (^・ω・^) we're in the same group! /l7jgh8g

UU05: :oD

UU05: /lhltmrv

UU02: (^・x・^) let's go search for more!

UU05: *nods*

Meulin minimized that chat once again. She was lucky that he hadn't recognized her. Although she was sure he did. He wasn't angry though, strangely. She wondered what he was planning. It couldn't be anything good. At least they might make some progress finding other unknowns.

They walked into the forest, in a different direction this time. They soon came into a clearing, with a river and a bridge going over it. There was a weird looking giant with two heads standing by the bridge. It had one eye on each head. One red and one blue. The rest of it was completely white. Meulin wondered what it was.

Suddenly, someone came down the railing of the bridge, on a skateboard. All she could see was a blur of yellow and black as it sped towards the end. The figure leapt into the air and…fell flat on his face.

UU02: (=^・0・^=) omg are you ok?

UU03:*00F* W4HT?!

UU03: 1'M4 F41LURRRE!1111!

UU05: :o?

UU05: /myf8j52

UU03: *5N1FF* 1 GU355.

UU05: /muznc7o

UU03: *N00D5*

UU05: *pap*

UU03: T4NK5

UU05: :o)

UU03: (=^・ェ・^=) well then.

UU05: :o)

UU03: WH0 15 Y0U?

UU05: :o?

UU05: /nycledk

UU03: N035, H3333R!1

UU03: 1 N0—

UU03: 1 W0N'T-

UU03: 444RGH 1 D0N'T L1K3 H3R1!1!

UU02: (=^T.T^=) well, I can tell when I'm not wanted.

UU02:ヽ(^..^=ゞ) good bye

UU05: /mvqfpxh

Meulin logged out, feeling frustrated. This was definitely the same guy that had talked to her before. She didn't understand why he liked Kurloz and not her! She was nicer than Kurloz! Way nicer! She pushed away from the computer, and got out of bed, yawning. She slipped on some slippers that she kept under her bed for times like this. Still in her pajamas, she walked down the hall and stairs to get to the kitchen. She opened the fridge, hoping for a quick snack. Her eyes roamed over the leftover meat in Tupperware, not really noticing it. There was milk, some cheese, and a couple of old slightly moldy vegetables and fruit. She frowned, closing the fridge. Nothing to eat, yet again. She checked the freezer, still nothing. More meat, just frozen. She stood, and began rifling through various cabinets and cupboards. There was tons of ramen and ready-make microwave meals everywhere. Finally she spotted some crackers, which she promptly took.

She sat down at her desktop computer and mused over various sites, trying to find something to do, while munching on the crackers. She ended up reading some amazing fanfiction on a site she didn't catch the name of. She would have to bookmark this.

**==This is boring**

What? No it's not!

**==Be Jade**

Why would you want to be her?

**==Because I want to know if she died or not!**

Shouldn't you know the answer to that by now?

**==Shut up! No spoilers!**

You want spoilers? I can give you spoilers. *grins evilly*

**==No! La la la la la I can't hear you!**

I was kidding! Sheesh, way to be immature.

**==Just… Be Jade…please.**

Alright, alright.

Jade walked down the street, unaware to the outside world. She was listening to some music, and going on a round-a-bout way home. She didn't feel like doing her homework just yet, and that was basically the only reason she was walking. She would've ridden the bus otherwise, especially since it was quite the long walk.

She sighed, staring at her feet. Never in her life had she felt so alone. She wished she could take Bec to school with her. Then she would have someone who would growl at all those who stared at her.

She sighed. Bec couldn't protect her forever. He could do many things, but he couldn't make people be friends with her. She would have to do that by herself. And with the police now following her, it felt like she would have an even harder time with that.

She glanced up at the street, and noticed a bright red car, exactly like Dave's. So her wanderings had led her here, back to her home. She glanced at her watch. Half an hour, huh?

She shivered suddenly. It felt like someone was watching her. What? She glanced around and heard an engine rev, and a car speed past. The driver had a gun in his hands, pointed directly at her. And he fired it. Time slowed and her eyes focused on that bullet, zooming closer and closer to her head. She couldn't move, like a deer in headlights. Even if she did move, she didn't think she would be fast enough.

Suddenly, with a green flash, Bec appeared in front of her, stopping the bullet in its tracks.

"Bec!" She cried happily. She waited for him to turn and wag his tail like always, but he just stood still. What was wrong with him? Bullets couldn't stop him.

"Bec?" She whispered. She walked around to face him, and saw a small round hole in his forehead. He wasn't bleeding. He wasn't moving at all. "Bec!?" she cried.

He barked faintly, and then disappeared. This time, without his signature green flash. She lurched forward, into the space he'd occupied. No no no no no. He couldn't be gone. Not Bec! Bec was her faithful dog, he COULDN'T die. It was impossible!

She sobbed out his name. "Bec…" She couldn't even hold him, couldn't even touch him. He had to be alive, he had to.

She stood slowly, arms hanging desolately. She cracked her shaking fingers in an effort to seem tough. She would have her revenge. For all her friends that had been killed. She would see that man killed.

After walking the last couple hundred yards to her house, she shakily called 911 to report the incident and what the man had looked like.

She would let the police do its work, and then she would have her revenge. She would have it if it was the last thing she did.

**A/R: Bet you didn't see that coming! Ha! Anyways, I apologize for all the links, as well as the pause in updates. If you can't follow all the links…well. You can try to guess what they are from their reactions. As for next chapter, please message me (or review) with questions you would like answered. I'll be doing a Q&A with Bec. **


	46. Chapter 46

**Chapter 46**

**==Be Bec**

Is that even possible? Can you be an animal?

**==Why not?**

Eh, sure.

Bec disappeared after barking farewell to Jade. At least he saved her from being killed for now. Of course, it was possible it would still happen anyways, but she was alive. That was enough for him. As for why he couldn't go back, he knew the reason. He had to make her believe she was dead. Although he'd like to keep that information from the reader at this moment. Yes, of course he knows you're there. He wouldn't make very good First Guardian if he didn't know you were reading this. Go ahead, ask him a few questions! I'm sure he'll answer some of them.

==Out of the three characters that are left, which is the next one to die?

That question falls under the context of *spoiler* and he can't answer that. The writer won't let him. He apologizes.

**==Alright…is "That guy" Hussie?**

Since you already seem to know his identity…yes it is. Also known as "The Huss" or "Andrew Hussie." Bec is sure Hussie doesn't appreciate him telling you his name since he attempted to hide it so much, but that's for another time.

**==What was Terezi's reaction to Karkat being in chorus?**

Ah yes, that's right. The author never got around to-*cough* Bec means, never felt the need to include that particular episode. You know what; I'm speaking in first person. I apologize, but it's more convenient this way.

So here's how it went over:

Karkat walked out of his chorus room, rushing down the hall. He hoped to god that no one saw him.

"Oh Kaaaarkaaaat!" A nagging voice came from the hall. Yup that was definitely Terezi. Wasn't dragged out long enough to be Vriska.

He groaned as he turned to face her.

"What?" He said loudly.

"Do I smell embarrassment? Hmm?"

"Terezi, f*** off."

"You might as well spill it. I'll find out later anyways." She drooped herself over his shoulders.

"Get off me!" He exclaimed, struggling under her weight. "And I don't see why I should tell you, of all people."

"Aha! So he doesn't deny it."

He growled, and managed to slip out from under her.

And she promptly draped herself over him again.

"Terezi!"

"Argh Terezi, quit it!"

"Get the f*** off of me!"

"Nope." She grinned. "You wouldn't leave a poor defenseless blind girl all on her own?"

"If you're so defenseless why don't you go get a godd***ed guide dog?"

"Hmph. I'm still not getting up until you spill your secrets."

"Ergh fine! Just get up first ok?" She complied, and he brushed himself off. He muttered something under his breath.

"What was that? I couldn't hear you." Terezi smirked, knowing she was annoying him.

"I said, I'm in chorus, alright! Jesus, Terezi."

"Chorus? I didn't know you could sing." If her mouth could make a question mark sign, it would definitely be making that face right now.

"Yeah, well apparently I can. Can you leave me alone now?"

"Can I hear you sing?"

"No! Leave me the f*** alone already!"

Terezi pouted, and then prodded him in the arm.

"C'mon, just a small song."

"Why would I want to sing here, in the school? In a hallway swarming with kids, no less." He grumbled.

"You'd be willing to sing elsewhere?" She grinned at Karkat's blank face. She grabbed his arm and began dragging him.

"Hey wait! Terezi! Godd***it! Let me go!" The protestations went on as he was dragged down the hallway.

I'll leave it up to your imaginations as to what happens next with that. Anymore questions?

**==Yeah, a couple more. Umm. Did Equius ever meet Jade?**

Yes. If he hadn't, I doubt he would've "allowed" her to live with Nepeta any longer. I won't give you the full details of this one because it's not as interesting. (Or it could be that the author just doesn't want to write it.) Ahem. Either way, he found her to be very kind and polite. I think the only reason he liked her is because Nepeta told her not to cuss in front of him.

**==What was Nepeta's painting going to be?**

I believe hints were dropped about that, yes? Sadly, she didn't finish it. All because of poor author planning. I mean, because the story progressed that way.

**==I'm not sure I have any more questions…**

Really? They don't have to be about the story.

**==Alright, what's it like where the author lives?**

It's-oof. *The author butts in* It's very quiet and peaceful. I live in a small suburb, woo! We don't have a lot of crime, which is very nice. There's not much to do here, but I guess that's fine since I basically read all the time. They're tons of farms around where I live… and a lot of people here like to pretend they're rednecks. It's kinda funny actually.

**==What does the author look like?**

*Narrows eyes in suspicion* Why would I tell you that? I will tell you that I'm a girl. But that's it, and I'm quite sure you've figured that out by now.

**==What are some of your favorite things?**

I think we're getting a little off-topic here. The point of this chapter was to find out what happened to Bec, not find out more about me. Besides, if you get me started on all my favorites, this chapter will never end. So, back to Bec, please. And back to third person, first person is kind of annoying. At least to me it is.

Where were we? Ah yes. Bec had disappeared from Jade. He teleported himself inside the game to make sure he was ready for her when she joined him, as she most likely would. If she did not he knew how to get out. He was one of the few in the universe to know. That short list also includes Hussie and the author. Yes that's right, not even the other Guardian making his home on Earth knows. That is because this is not his universe, and therefore there are many blank spots in his vision here.

Bec hurried to the spot where he knew Jade's house would be. It was on an island that he knew she had previously explored. However, the game had not yet chosen her at that time. Technically it wasn't the game that chose her, but rather it assessed her abilities and the makers decided whether or not she was a danger. And so she was slotted to be trapped in the game, unless her and companions could figure a way out. Of course they would have to figure it out on their own, with no help from him or any of the others that know the way. It was a pity it had to be this way. He wished he could keep her from the horror that is Sburb. But at least he would be in here with her to guide her. That was enough for him, to be by her side. That was the one pleasure he allowed himself. He had served generations of Harley's, and not one of them was as kind and vengeful as Jade. He knew she would attempt to avenge him. He wished her luck in that aspect, despite him knowing the outcome.

He reached the island by teleporting swiftly. He was the only entity in this realm that could teleport without there being a person on the other end. It was particularly useful, but it had its drawbacks, of course. He had to visualize where he wanted to go clearly in his mind. If he got distracted he could end up in another place entirely, or not move from the spot. In other words, a person without omniscience would find the ability useless.

He whined as he teleported up into Jade's game-constructed room. The stuff in there smelt just like her, probably so that she would feel more comfortable in game. The makers certainly knew what they were doing. Getting the kids on their side while still in their prison was certainly a good idea. However flawed their reasons for doing this, they were smart. They knew enough to hide all their loopholes.

Bec stared at the pile of brightly colored squiddles. Unlike normal dogs, he could see the full range of the visual spectrum, and even some non-visual. At that moment he wished he couldn't. They were almost painful to the eyes, and yet he couldn't look away. He leaped up onto her bed and faced away from them, keeping his attention on all the other gadgets in the room. All the projects were ones she had been working on in her room at Meulin's and Nepeta's house. He had teleported them to her, along with all her other stuff. The girls had just assumed she had gone to get them herself.

What was he going to do now?

**==Bark like a dog and s*** on a robot**

He _is_ a dog you idiot! And he would never destroy one of Jade's priceless robots, not in a million years. Not unless it was hurting her. Although he might take your first suggestion. Barking is fun.

He teleported himself back outside of the tower, sitting on the round roof. He could see the ocean all the way around the island, except where the volcano stood. He decided to go check on the ruins, and make sure the shield he had set up wasn't destroyed by curious gamers.

He teleported to the bottom of the ruins, and found the wall surrounding it was fluctuating slightly. He sniffed around for one of the sustaining mechanisms. It wasn't where he had left it. He searched all over the island, including inside the house and the gardens. No luck. It wasn't anywhere in the forest either. Finally he found it tossed over the edge, into the volcano. Thankfully the volcano hadn't been active for years, and there was a crust of hardened rock over the lava. He knew just how deep it went, so he wasn't worried. He gently picked up the device in his mouth and teleported back to the ruins. Setting it down, he examined it, trying to see if he could salvage it.

He went over to another one of the machines, dragging it out. He used it as comparison to see what was wrong with malfunctioning one. It seemed to be out of fuel, which was uranium, of course. He frowned. He took a couple pieces of fuel from the working one, and set them inside. They would both be less efficient now, but it was better than nothing.

Hurriedly, he set them back in their places. The one that had been messed with, he set in a different hiding place. He knew who had done this, and he knew why. There was another resident on this island. And his name is Jake English.

**A/R: Finally, the alphas are included. I hinted at them being players earlier but… at one point I thought I wasn't going to have them actually involved in the story. But here we are, proof of one being involved! This is going to get very complicated. **


	47. Chapter 47

**Chapter 47**

**==Be Jake**

Command invalid.

**==What?! Why?**

Command invalid, insert new command.

**== Oh come on, you and I both know that you can talk beyond that.**

Command invalid.

**== Fine. Be Jane**

Command Invalid.

**==Excuse me, typo. Be Jade.**

Thank you.

**==Aha!**

What? Something wrong?

**==I knew it, you were just pretending earlier so you wouldn't have to explain!**

Sorry, unable to comply. Try rewording your command.

**== I give up.**

Duly noted.

Jade sat fuming in her seat. Meulin was giving her a lecture, which was kind of weird. She was sending messages to her phone non-stop. After awhile she just turned off her phone, and Meulin got very frustrated, turning to paper instead. When she saw Jade ignoring this as well, she began doing charades.

Which made Jade want to laugh, despite the fact that she was made to sit there with absolutely nothing to do. She didn't even understand why Meulin was mad. All she had done was shake the police from following her and walked home by herself. It wasn't like she died or anything. Oh, that's right, she almost had! That didn't explain why Meulin was mad. She knew she probably shouldn't have done that, especially when she knew she was a targeted person, but she didn't like the feeling of being watched. Even if it was the police. It was too much for a girl that had lived alone for most of her life.

Meulin threw her hands up into the air and walked away. Jade could just imagine her saying "I'm done."

Jade got up, frowning. She felt slightly guilty, but what was she supposed to do? It had already happened. Hopefully it wouldn't happen again. She'd learned her lesson, Meulin didn't need to lecture her.

Jade sighed, and walked up the stairs to get to her room, turning right into her room. There was nothing she could do. She'd just have to wait it out. Maybe she could try to go online and see if she could find anything with Google. She wasn't able to get in contact with the police or anything. They wouldn't help a civilian like her. Maybe she could hire a private investigator. She snorted. Terezi would've been good at this, and she would've done it for free.

Maybe, since she was in the game, she could get someone who was good at hacking to try to get into the police records? She didn't know anyone like that, but Terezi's sure to know someone. She assumed since the game was in the computer, he/she wouldn't have a hard time with it.

First things first, she had to actually log onto the game. She hadn't gone on for a while, only on occasion since she got that one message about the second objective. She'd gotten it awhile ago after she finally met up with the people John had found. She had been surprised to see Dave was in the same group, and talked to him some along with his sister. They were both nice to her, although she was a little nervous with Dave.

As she pulled up the game she put on some music so she could have something to listen to. She clicked shuffle and up came the squiddle theme song. She grinned and waited for the game to load.

As soon as it came up, she clicked to chat with Terezi.

**Are you sure you want to pester gallowsCallibrator? Yes / No**

**==Oh cod, not that again.**

Well. _Some_one likes fish puns.

GC: WH4T 1S 1T?

GG: I like how you type! :D

GC: WHY TH4NK YOU.

GG: Oh! I wanted to ask you something.

GG: do you know someone who's good at hacking?

GC: H4CK1NG :?

GG: Yeah.

GC: WHY Y3S 1 DO.

GC: WHY?

GG: just something I wanted to do.

GG: can you give me his username?

GC: SUR3. JUST B3 C4R3FUL, H3 DO3SN'T LIK3 TO T4LK TO P3OPL3 OUTSID3 OF OUR GROUP.

GC: 1T'S TW1N4RM4G3DDONS.

GG: thanks! :D

Jade exited the chat before Terezi could say anything else. She typed the person's username into the search bar and clicked chat.

She quickly clicked yes when the same message popped up, like with Terezi.

TA: who the hell are you?

GG: I'm Jade!

GG: Terezi told me you're good with computers?

TA: well…II am, but II have no clue who you are.

GG: I'm from the human session. Remember Karkat helped us out? And we helped you some?

TA: II'm not 2ure.

TA: maybe.

GG: I need your help!

TA: wiith what?

GG: Can you help me hack into the police database?

TA: really?

TA: you want me two do that?

GG: yes! Please. :D

TA: look, iit'2 not that II don't want two, really.

TA: II ju2t don't want two help you.

GG: what? Why not? :(

TA: II don't 2ee why II should.

GG: but… I need your help! You're the only one I know that can do this!

TA: do you even know my name?

GG: well…no, but—

TA: ca2e clo2ed.

GG: please?

TA: ugh, II 2aiid no!

TA: ju2t leave me alone, kiid.

GG: hey! I am not a kid!

TA: really? How old are you?

GG: 15!

TA: II'm older then you. Therefore you're 2tiill a kiid.

GG: so?

GG: I bet you're only older than me by a year!

TA: …

GG: wait, you really are?

GG: hahaha! That's hilarious!

TA: 2hut the f*** up.

GG: !

TA: what?

GG: I know this guy that's really annoying. If you don't help me, I'll sick him on you!

TA: who?

GG: I don't know his real name… but his username is caligulasAquarium.

TA: who…?

TA: waiit.

TA: no.

TA: NO!

There was a small pause in his messages.

TA: …II'll help you.

GG: yay! Thank you!

TA: what exactly diid you want two know?

GG: I'm trying to find the guy that's been killing people connected to Sburb.

GG: he killed a bunch of my friends.

GG: …and my dog.

GG: although I guess you could say they're still alive since they're in the game now.

TA: why diidn't you 2ay that earliier?

TA: II would've helped you wiith that.

GG: did they kill your friends too?

TA: yeah. And they kiilled me.

GG: I'm sorry. :(

TA: IIt'2 fiine.

GG: so you'll help me?

TA: yeah, 2ure.

GG: thank you so much!

GG: :D

GG: Oh! What's your name?

TA: IIt'2 2ollux.

GG: Ok! I'll talk to you later, Mr. Sollux. Bye!

She exited the chat and logged off. She didn't have any more to say to all the people in the game. Some of them wouldn't respond when she messaged them. Others would, but didn't really talk to her all that much. They seemed preoccupied.

She wondered what it would be like, in game. She sighed. It would certainly be a lot better than here, where she had no more friends. Gamzee was nice to her, but whenever she saw Karkat he yelled at her. And the rest of the people in school were also mean. Or she just didn't get along with them.

Maybe she could befriend Gamzee, but he was always with Karkat. Even more so now. She'd heard rumors that he'd been found soaked in blood—that wasn't his. She shivered. It seemed to have some effect on him; he wasn't smiling as much now. He also seemed quieter. It was weird.

She shrugged, and decided to go to sleep. She'd had a long day, and could probably finish her homework in the morning, or during study hall.

**A/R: Hey guess what! I now have a tumblr! You guys should come follow me! It's the same name as this account because I'm not good with names, as you may have figured out before. And not just naming things, confusing people's names. To this day I still sometimes get Eridan and Equius confused… Anyways another chapter! Yay!**


	48. Chapter 48

**Chapter 48**

==**Be Vriska**

Vriska walked down the street of an unnamed town. She was hungry and trying to figure out how exactly she was supposed to get food. Wasn't she dead? Why was she hungry? It was all very frustrating, and she came up with no answers.

Maybe with her luck she would get to an answer eventually. It seemed like Aradia had allllllll the answers. All of them. But Vriska was refusing to talk to her, she was double dead. At least, that's what she liked to call it, the weird white ghost thing she had going. Come to think of it, Sollux would get a real kick out of that. She would have to make sure to never mention it.

As she looked around, she saw there were all types of shops. Many of them were for player to player trades, and some were NPCs selling stuff. It seemed everyone here used a strange currency called boondollars. The value of one was never really mentioned. She bet she could get them by killing monsters and going on raids. She'd be willing to pay on that bet.

So, she could either trade something she had, or go hunting. She took a quick look into her inventory. She didn't have much, just these awesome dice the game had given her. She wasn't quite sure how to use them, but she would figure it out. In the meantime she would have to make do with a s***ty sword that had been lying in her room. It would probably break easily, but that didn't really matter. She had to have food _now_.

Vriska walked quickly down the street of the town, heading towards some ominous looking trees. It didn't take too long to get to them; the town was kind of small. It had a wooden wall surrounding this side of the town, which it didn't have on the other side. A couple of men were guarding the gate; she assumed they were either NPCs or part of some group that held weird ideals, like protecting everyone and keeping everything orderly. She hoped it was the latter, so she could have some fun with them. The one on the right was wearing a really tacky looking silver suit of armor. The one on the left had normal clothes, but had a really intense looking shield. They were both human.

"Halt! What business do you have in the forest?" The tacky looking one asked.

"Oh I just thought I'd have a little stroll…Y'know, get some fresh air?" She said with a pleasant smile on her face. Her voice was innocent, but her one exposed eye flashed dangerously.

The guards both shifted uneasily.

"Look, we don't want any trouble—" The one with the shield slowly placed one hand into the air. That was how you accessed strife specibus.

Vriska grinned sharkily, flashing her dangerous fangs. "Neither do I, officers." She responded mockingly. "Just let me out and I'll be on my way. Thank you kind sirs." She bowed extravagantly.

"We're not supposed to let anyone out!" The tacky one whispered to the other guard.

"I-I think we can make an exception." The one with the shield spoke quietly. "You may pass." They pulled on the handles, opening the gate.

"Why thank you! My hero." She said the first part with her hands on her heart. The second sentence, she glared at them each. "Bye now!" She ran into the forest before they could change their minds.

Players were so much fun to mess with. Vriska laughed, hoping they could still hear her.

Her mood soon grew somber. The trees were so thick; she couldn't see the sky, except in small patches. In was dark, and not very pretty. The floor was pretty much barren, seeing as how no sun could get to it. There was some grass in some patches, but that was about it. She pursed her lips, folding her arms on her chest. Where should she begin? Probably somewhere near the edge, so she wouldn't get stuck in the middle without defensives. She didn't know all the rules of this game, and didn't want to be caught unaware because of her low level. How frustrating. She would only be able to kill easy things. Well, at least that way her sword wouldn't break for probably some time.

She took out the dice, raising her hand in the air. She had allocated them to her strife specibus, hoping they were a weapon. She quickly rolled them, as she'd done many times before. Nothing happened.

"Ugh! Laaaaaaaame!" She tried concentrating on them, rerolling them. Still nothing.

She frowned. What if they didn't do anything? She shook her head, they had to do something. They wouldn't have been in that special box if they were just role play dice. She scooped up the dice, and raised her hand into the air once more, this time in a fist. When she opened it back up again, they were gone. It was interesting, what she had discovered in the past few days here.

She started walking in a random direction, noting in her head where she was going. She left a line on the internal map she had discovered in her head. At the moment it was zoomed on her location. She had found that if she lost concentration, she would lose some of the line from the beginning. Not good.

The past few days she'd been basically messing around from tools in the game. She'd found so much more than what Aradia decided to mention to her, that white text person too. There were so many little complexities that she hadn't even noticed how hungry she had been getting.

It was a little sad that she hadn't noticed, but right now she needed to concentrate on her surroundings. At any moment an enemy could jump out.

In the distance she heard howling, and the hairs on the back of her neck lifted. Those howls almost sounded…human. She shivered in slight fear. No! She couldn't be killed here, right? At least that's what she thought. It was just a game, wasn't it? But now it was so much more than a game, they were all living it out. All except three, lucky bastards. They had no clue how lucky they were. There was some weird stuff here.

She shook her head to clear her obstructing thoughts. She lost a bit of her path. It shouldn't be too bad; it wasn't much distance from the end point to the gate. She would be able to find her way back ok still. But if she lost much more, she might end up getting lost. The map in her head only showed about a half mile radius. She had only lost a couple yards, so she should be fine.

The howls echoed once again, she could no longer tell where they were coming from. She drew her sword hastily, crouching down. She was strong, but she'd had no experience with a sword. God, she wished those dice would work. She held her hand, palm out, in the air. The dice appeared.

The howls came once more, they were distinctly closer now. Yes, she was absolutely terrified. She gripped her sword in one hand, dice in the other. She glanced wildly about her, turning in tight circles.

They came slowly and lithely, seeming to appear all at once. They were only a few yards away. In absolute terror, she lost complete grasp on her map.

"F***." She muttered under breath.

Their ears perked up and they snarled as one, as if they were the same being. And perhaps they were, they _were_ game constructs. She repeated that over and over in her head as she clenched her hands. With a battle cry, she tossed her dice. Nothing. But it drew their attention away from her. They were distracted, if only for a millisecond. It was enough.

**==Be Jade**

WHAT? Why? That was exciting! I was sitting on the edge of my seat! Weren't you?

**==Yep. Be Jade.**

You're no fun…

Jade sat bored in her last period in school. The school day had passed without incident. Now she was just waiting for the day to end when—

"I'm assigning a group project! And you guys can pick your own partners!"

The class cheered. Jade just stared, mouth slightly agape. Why did the worst things happen to her? She knew no one in this class, no one! She huddled by herself. Maybe the teacher would let her work alone. Probably not.

She glanced up at all the people talking excitedly, and easily finding partners. There were a couple of people standing there looking lost. The teacher would probably force them to be in a group. Ugh, she hated not knowing anyone. She forced herself to stand up and walk over to a girl that didn't have a partner. She was slouched in her chair, looking down at the ground. Her hair was dark brown, and cut in a bob. It was slightly wavy, and she wore glasses.

"Will you be my partner?" She asked quietly.

The other girl brightened up quickly and smiled, standing up. "Sure! My name's Jane."

"Jade." She smiled back.

Jade nodded, and sat down at a desk next to her. Jane sat down once more.

"So what are we doing?" Jade asked shyly. She didn't want Jane to think she was a slacker, and hadn't been paying attention.

"Um, I don't think she said yet. Let's wait and see!"

Jade smiled and waited. Jane seemed nice, she was glad she'd asked to be her partner.

"Alright class, I'm going to pass out the paper with instructions on it. Don't lose it! I won't give you another copy."

Jade knew the teacher didn't mean it. She'd had her before, and she was a real pushover, despite what she said.

When Jade got her copy, she looked over it and glanced at Jane.

"Looks like we'll have to meet up."

"Is after school today good? I can't do it on the weekend and I'm busy the rest of the week."

"Yeah, sure! My house?"

Jane nodded. "Do you take the bus?"

"Yeah. You?"

She nodded.

Jade glanced up at the time. About fifteen minutes to go.

"Please talk with your partner on how you're going to do this! I'm not going to tell you what it is, you can read for yourself."

They were going to do a project on a book they had just finished reading, 1984. They had to depict a certain scene from the book, in some way.

"This isn't going to be easy. We're probably going to have to do more than just today." Jade mused.

Jane frowned. "That can't be good. When's it due?"

"February 17th."

"We have plenty of time then!" Jane grinned.

"Just two weeks." Jade warned. "Let's try not to procrastinate."

"Of course not." Jane giggled. "This is going to be fun!"

Jane's laugh was funny, it sounded like she was saying "hoo." It made Jade start laughing too.

"Girls are you working?" The teacher called above the students.

"Yeah!" Jade called back, still giggling. "Your laugh is hilarious." She said to Jane.

Jane blushed a little. "W-well…"

"Don't be embarrassed! That was a compliment."

"O-oh. Thanks?"

"You're welcome. Now. What do you think we should do for our project?"

"Hmm. Maybe we could act out a scene? Make it into a movie?"

"We could, but what scene would be interesting enough to do?"

Jane paused. *slight spoilers for 1984* "How about the one where he gets the book? I don't think we should read the book out loud, that'd be boring. And then we could also do the scene where he gets caught? That'd be good."

"I guess. But we could also do a diorama. Or a poster… I feel like that'd be easier."

"But I kind of want to do the movie now…"

"Alright! Then let's do that. We'll have to make our own costumes and stuff. That shouldn't be too hard."

"You have no idea." A mutter came from a gloom filled corner. Neither Jane nor Jade heard it.

The two stood up as the bell rang, and began walking in separate directions.

"Jane! My bus number is 413!" Jade yelled over the crowd.

"Got it!"

Jade went to her locker, dumping her books into her bag and slinging it over her shoulder. She walked quickly down the hallway, dodging people in the hallway. She muttered under her breath, urging people to move faster.

"F*** people, move!" She made a noise of disgust. This was a waste of time.

Finally she got free from the crowd, escaping out the door. You'd think people would move faster since it was the end of the day but nooooo. They still moved slowly like every other day.

She stopped short when out of the corner of her eye, she saw a bit of Jane's bright blue skirt flash around the corner of the school. She glanced at the busses, then back at the corner.

"F*** it." She headed to the corner and peeked around it. What she saw made her gasp.

Jane was holding a gun and pointing it at Karkat.

**A/R: Cliffhanger! I felt particularly evil this time. I feel like I've gotten ten times more busy as summer draws to a close… Seriously. I'm not sure I'll even have time to update this in the school year. "Nooooooooooooooooooooooo!" ~John Egbert. I'll keep you posted about that. **


	49. Chapter 49

**Chapter 49**

**==Be Karkat**

Karkat is currently unavailable, sorry.

**== What? Why?!**

He is scared s***less and refuses to let you be him.

**==Argh who the hell makes up these rules?**

It doesn't matter. Who do you want to be? Better choose before I do.

**==Fine! Be Jane**

Invalid command.

**==What!? Again?!**

Sorry, I can't explain. Just try someone else.

**==Can I be Jade? Or Vriska?**

I take it I can decide which one? Yes? Alright.

Vriska swung her sword at the beast in front of her, catching it off guard. She cut its snout, but that only seemed to infuriate it. It roared, all of them sustaining the same injury.

All of a sudden, they merged into one huge snarling mass. The others disappeared in flashes of light. The new one was ten times as large, and towered over her. She gulped. Maybe she should run? No she couldn't her dice were behind the beast. She couldn't leave them behind, even if they did nothing. They were _hers_. She wouldn't give them up so easily.

With a cry, she leapt forward and up, raising the sword above her head. The beast raised a foreleg into the air and batted her easily aside with its claws.

She gasped in pain, and blood gushed out of several cuts along her body. It was kind of blue-grayish, the same color as the symbol on her shirt. She was surprised at this, but couldn't take her attention off the animal. The jump had brought her closer to the dice then she had been before. They were her only hope now. The sword she had was no match for this hulking monster.

She charged it, and at the very last second veered to the dice. The beast roared again, and began coming after her. She picked up the dice and rolled them, this time looking at the numbers rolled. 1,2,3,4,4,6,7,8. Of course.

A screen appeared next to the monster, with the words Guillotine De La Marquise in white, with a blue the same color as her blood and sign as the background. The actual text was white. In a flash of blue and white, a gigantic blue guillotine appeared. It promptly chopped off the head of the wolf-beast and disappeared. Her jaw dropped as the beast fell to the floor. Several options appeared in the air.

**Keep**

**Keep to Sell/Trade**

**Collect Reward**

She thought over what she wanted to do. She could collect the reward now, but where's the fun in that? She could probably sucker some guy to buy it for far much than the game would give her. She clicked keep to sell/trade and the slain beast repaired its cut neck. The blood disappeared, and it basically looked like it had when it was alive, except now it was dead. She checked her inventory. She didn't have enough space for this. She shrugged and slung it over her shoulder. She'd just have to carry it. She picked up the dice and put them back in her strife deck. She smiled at them. She'd have to keep experimenting with them later.

Vriska glanced down at her tattered and blood spattered clothes. She frowned slightly. She didn't have any other clothes with her. There had been several changes of the same shirt, jacket and jeans back at her hive thing. She'd get them later. First she was going to sell this thing. She glanced around the forest, and her frowned deepened. She remembered she had lost her map in the heat of the battle. How was she supposed to get back now?

She looked at the pathless map in her head, shrugged and started to walk north. She couldn't remember which direction she had entered this forest from, but north sounded like a good idea. Next time she would have to remember to check what direction she was heading in. That way she would have a backup in case she lost her map again.

After a long while she came upon the wall. It wasn't the exact spot as she had come in on, so she started walking to the left to find the gate. Or maybe get to the edge of it, either was fine.

Soon enough, there it was. She rapped on it eight times in quick succession.

"Who goes?" A voice called from the other side. She recognized it; it was one of the ones from before.

"It's me!" She yelled back.

She heard laughing from the other side. She thought she heard them muttering: "Back so soon?" "I'll bet she got scared."

She stepped away from the gate as they opened it. She saw them still laughing, and then they caught sight of her. Their mouths dropped open and their eyes bugged out.

"Whaaaat?!" They said in unison.

She smirked. "Hey boys." She sauntered into the town, dragging the monster she'd killed behind her. It hurt a little to do this, and a small amount of blood leaked from her various cuts, but it was totally worth it to see their expressions.

Once she got the whole thing inside she dropped it and stretched. "Man that was way too easy." She picked it back up and continued on her way, glancing back at their expressions. She very exaggeratingly winked her one eye so they couldn't miss it and mistake it for her just blinking.

When she walked back into town, people started swarming around her. They asked her if she wanted to trade this and that for it. She rolled her shoulders.

"Alright! My asking price is a million boonbucks! If you have something you want to trade for it, too bad!" She yelled over the crowd. "If you're willing to pay that much, please come forward."

Several people stepped forward, and the rest dispersed.

"Now," She said to the much smaller group of people, "How much would you be willing to pay for it, in order to outbid each other?"

They glanced at each other. After a second of silence, they all broke out into offers that she couldn't discern from each other. It was a little different since they couldn't talk in game, unless they were dead of course. It was like they all group chatted her and a bunch of messages popped up at the same time. The server couldn't take it, and they all ended up mixed up together.

"One at a time!"

Her message became a garbled mess: I'll give at 1,0 time one boon a.

She grew frustrated, which was never a good thing.

"ENOUGH!" She shouted. The server crashed. Great. After a couple minutes of people logging out and logging back in, one person finally made an offer that blew her away.

"I'll give you ten million boonbucks."

"You got a deal!" Vriska smiled and shook hands with the guy. They went into a shop designated for player trades and quickly exchanged items.

Vriska walked out of the place and went to go get some health potions and food.

She just went into the normal shops for that stuff. The guy she had sold the animal to followed her, without her realizing it.

She walked into a potion store and asked the NPC behind the counter to show her the options for them. They were all roughly 420 boondollars.

"How much is a boonbuck?"

"A thousand boondollars." The clerk answered.

Vriska was shocked at that and decided to get a couple different ones. Some attack, some defense and some healing. Once she finished with that, she headed towards an open-air market. She got a bunch of food, eating some of it as soon as she bought them.

She tucked the rest into her inventory. She glanced up at the sky and turned around to go back home and get a change of clothes. It was late in the day and she wanted to go home to practice with the dice.

Suddenly a hand fell on her shoulder. She started a bit, but she was proud to say it wasn't that noticeable. It was the guy she had traded with earlier.

"What?" She said, slightly surprised.

"This is her." He said. A girl behind him nodded.

"Ma'am, I'm going to have to force you to log out."

"What? Why?" Vriska looked back and forth between the man and woman.

"He says you sold stolen goods. I'm a mod, so I'm allowed to force you out."

"Then why haven't you?"

"I have to inform you of what you've done wrong."

"Alright, do it."

"You're admitting what he said is true?"

"No, not at all. I fought that thing. I killed it. I'm not sure why he says I stole it. Not sure that's even possible. Hmm." Vriska got sidetracked and started thinking about ways to steal in the game. Maybe she could hack into the system?

"Ma'am?"

"Oh yeah. Go ahead and try to log me out."

"Is that…a challenge?"

"No, I just know it's impossible. I've tried it already." She shrugged, and stepped around the man and woman.

"Hey!" The woman called after her. She did something with her controls, probably trying to log her out.

"Come back here! Why can't I log you out?"

"You really want to know?" Vriska turned around, grinning.

"Yes!"

"It's because I'm dead."

She turned on the balls of her feet and started walking away, leaving behind two more stunned people. This was happening a lot today. She didn't care. At least she wasn't hungry anymore.

"Hey! Wait!" The guy called after her, running to catch up.

"What noooooooow?" She was annoyed by this guy's persistence.

"If you're dead then why are you here?"

"Who knows? I don't care. All I care about is that I have ten dozen of the same exact outfit! Why? 'Because trolls don't care about fashion.' That's just some programmers bulls*** excuse for being lazy and not making more than one set of clothes. And you know what's worse? I can't escape from the game. No matter how hard my friends and I try."

"I knew it. I knew you were one of the ones inside the actual game."

"Hmph. So that's why you had this girl come and force me to log out? You're creative, I'll give you that." She flipped her hair and stalked off once more in the direction of her hive. "Don't bother me, boy."

"Boy?!" The guy seemed insulted.

"Good-bye!" She smiled patronizingly, waving half her hand at him.

"I'm just going to keep following you, you know."

She ignored him. He poked her in the back of the neck. She kept walking.

After several occasions of similar behavior, they reached the mountain where Vriska's hive was located.

She entered, and still the boy followed.

"What's that? Oh, what's _this_?" He seemed to remark on every single thing in her respiteblock, and her entire hive. "Where are you going?"

"If you follow me, you'll see." Vriska hid her evil smile, she had a great idea.

She led him down the stairs, through the depths of the mountain.

"Whoa!" They were in an open area behind her mountain, in a valley. In front of them was a giant web, a huge white spider in the middle of it.

"This is spider-mom. Spider-mom, lunch."

"Wait, what?" The guy looked confused, then frightened. "No, no! Don't!"

Vriska revealed her evil smile, grinning as she watched the spider wrap him in webbing, still struggling. Just like feeding one of the spiders at home.

**A/R: Creepy Vriska… Death is becoming natural for her. Probably not a good thing. Before I forget-in answer to Moon-chan's question about how many chapters this is going to be… I have no clue. It's probably going to get much longer than it is now. **


	50. Chapter 50

**Chapter 50**

**==Be Karkat**

Karkat stared down the barrel of the gun, and then back at the face of the girl. She looked kind of like Jade, only with shorter hair. Her eyes were narrowed; her pupil's red and the whites of her eyes were black. It was an incredibly scary sight to behold.

"No!" A high-pitched voice came from behind the girl. It was Jade. She leaped in front of Karkat, literally growling.

"So you are the one that has been killing people." She jumped at Jane, pulling a shotgun from her backpack.

Jane rolled her eyes, and shot her before she could get it all the way out.

"I'm not stupid, kid."

Jade fell to the ground, her eyes wide. "No…"

"Your turn." She smiled at Karkat. He backed up a few steps, and felt branches poking him in the back. He glanced back and saw a bush cutting off his escape.

As he turned back to face the girl, a shot fired. And then another, and then another. All three hit him down his midsection, all in a row.

He saw something moving behind her, as he coughed up blood.

"Jade?" He whispered

Jade wacked the girl across the head with her gun. She was still bleeding, but alive. The shot had missed her heart by a fraction of an inch. It was remarkable she could still move. She was losing too much blood, as was he. The girl had passed out, but he paid no attention to her. Jade collapsed on her back and smiled up at the sky.

"I did it." She whispered. "Goodbye, Karkat. I hope we meet again in the game."

He grunted, panting. Her breathing grew fainter and fainter until he couldn't hear it anymore.

He let out a strangled moan; he didn't want anyone to die. He hardly knew her, but she was the second person to die in front of him. It was a terrifying experience the first time, and was somehow even worse the second time. Maybe it was because he knew he was going to die any minute.

He couldn't breathe anymore; it was like something was blocking his wind pipe. He gulped like crazy, trying to get past it. He was in so much pain, both psychological and physical, and he still wanted to live. He wanted to breathe, and walk in the halls that seemed so empty without Terezi's cackling, Nepeta's soft giggle, and Sollux's lisp. He could think of a billion things he wanted to do, but not one of them would ever happen. All because he left a stupid book in his locker.

In a way he was glad to be joining the others—if what they said about the game was true. If not…well. He didn't want to think about that.

He gasped one more time, his lungs burning without oxygen, and then he stiffened. He could no longer hear his heart beating. He could hear sounds from around, but he couldn't see anything. Then he saw a small light. It was just like every single crappy story ever written, there was indeed a light at the end of the tunnel.

But it didn't hold what he thought of as heaven.

Instead, he found himself surrounded by humans and trolls and a couple leprechauns. Carapacians and cherubim were nowhere to be found. It was definitely Sburb, and he saw he was in a large town. He sighed, and started walking. He wasn't all that sure where he was supposed to go, but it was better than just standing in the same place. The houses spacing grew wider as he left the town, following a small path.

Eventually he came upon a dark forest, and he looked into it, confused. Where the heck was he? While he had been playing Sburb in real life he had never noticed something like this. Maybe if he went through it something would be on the other side, but he didn't want to take that chance. He began walking along the edge.

Eventually he came across a road that went into the forest. He shrugged and began walking down it. It didn't seem too bad. At least not at first.

He kept checking over his shoulder, making sure he could still see the entrance. After about the third time, he couldn't see it anymore. After freaking out a bit, and being slightly panicked, he started walking back. No big deal, it shouldn't be too far away. Perhaps he had lost sight of it because of a curve he hadn't noticed.

As he walked he kept glancing around himself nervously. It felt like something was watching him, but no worries. He would soon be out of there. He jumped at the hoot of an owl. He shook it off, walking at a slightly faster pace than before.

Without warning, he broke into a run. He still couldn't see the entrance. Where did it go? He looked behind him and the path wasn't there. He checked before him, it had disappeared there as well. He stopped short, breathing heavily. What was he supposed to do now? He heard an eerily human-like scream in the distance, shuddering as it was cut off abruptly. It was followed by barking and some growls.

He started walking in a random direction, away from the—whatever that was. He hoped that if he just stuck to one direction he would get out eventually.

He heard another strange sound, a deeper growling sound than before. It seemed to come from ahead. He promptly turned around and started walking the other way. What was with this forest? It was just full of random dangers.

He jumped at a sound of rustling to his left, bringing his arms up to protect himself. A small rabbit hopped out. He sighed in relief, not even noticing its strange pointy shades, and began walking away. It stared after him, but it did not follow. It had other business to attend to.

Karkat stared blankly at the foliage in his path. He was trapped; there was no way around it. Maybe he could go back a little ways and see if he could pick over the different thorn bushes. Ugh he hated forests. So many spider webs, and insects and thorn bushes. It was no wonder he was already dirty. You would think the game designers would have it so that that there weren't any of that stuff, but this game was realistic as hell. It was like nothing he'd ever seen before, down to the tiniest details.

"F***." He had accidently brushed up against a thorn bush. He stopped walking and looked at his thumb. It had only grazed him, drawing out a single drop of cherry-red blood. He held it up to his mouth, sucking on it.

He began walking again back, not really paying attention to his surroundings. He tripped over a large stick in the small path, landing on a thorn bush. Of-f***ing-course.

"S*** s*** s***!" He eased himself off of the bush, bleeding from a thousand different cuts.

He shook his arms to the side as if shaking off water. "Ugh."

Somewhere nearby, a monster lurked. It stood still, nose to the wind. It could smell blood, rare troll blood to be exact. It grinned, exposing rows and rows of sharp teeth. It would have an excellent meal tonight.

**== Be Nepeta**

Nepeta was lounging in her cave, drawing on the walls when she heard it: a loud scream, coming from somewhere nearby. She jumped up, grabbing a makeshift bow. The scream cut off. It was highly possible that this was an animal. After all, those who weren't actually _in _the game couldn't make sounds. But there was always the possibility. She would never leave someone in need alone.

She climbed through the trees, effortlessly and silently making her way above where she thought the scream had come from. She saw a pack of wolves tearing into an animal carcass. She frowned. The wolves seemed normal. Although, in this game it was kind of hard to tell.

She sighed, disappointed. There wasn't much to do here except hunt. She wanted something to happen. Sollux and Aradia had talked about them getting together to see everyone in game, but she thought it would be a waste of time. Why get together? To do what? There was no point.

She shrugged her shoulders, stretching out from her cramped position on the tree. She swung down, landing softly on the ground. She started running back to her cave when she sniffed. It smelled like… a high level monster that would probably taste delicious. She grinned and immediately switched directions, climbing back into the trees and making sure to stay downwind.

When she caught sight of it again, it looked like it was stalking something. She sniffed the air. All she could really smell was the animal—no wait. Was that…Karkat? She wondered if he was in the game or if he was just online. She sighed. She couldn't take the chance that he might be just online.

As she stalked the bear looking beast stalking Karkat, they got closer and closer to him. She could hear him muttering curses about random things. She muffled a giggle, couldn't have the beast hearing her.

She watched as the beast suddenly grew larger and more menacing, gathering itself to pounce on its prey. Nepeta was slightly less formidable, but she was probably just as dangerous, if not more so.

She crept forward, mirroring the movements of the animal. She was right on top of it without it noticing. She could see the back of Karkat. That's when it decided to attack.

She leaped down about a half a second later than it, landing between it and Karkat. Nepeta clenched her hands, extending her claws. She hissed at the beast that growled at her.

"Nepeta?" Karkat sounded scared. She couldn't look back to reassure him. She couldn't take her eyes off of the thing before her. Her eyes narrowed as she grew angrier with the fact that it was trying to hurt Karkat.

A roar ripped out of her throat as she jumped, swiping her claws across the beast's stomach. It roared back, throwing a clumsy paw her way. In mid air, she twisted her body out of the way, still landing on her feet. She leaned low, attacking at its feet with lightning speed. It fell forward, its paws still swiping through the air. It landed a minor blow on her arm, but it hit Karkat full in the face. She ignored the menu that sprung up with her defeat of it, stretched out her hands and ran to his side.

"Karkat? Are you ok?" She held back from touching him, she didn't really know what terms they were on anymore.

"Yeah I think so. Thanks for killing that thing."

She smiled and leaned slightly closer.

"Is your blood…green?"

She glanced at her coat. Some blood from the final blow was seeping through her jacket's arm.

"Yeah. Apparently trolls all have different colors of blood." She shrugged. "I see yours is normal though." She frowned slightly. She wasn't sure if that was normal for trolls or not. She had read something about different blood colors and the different ways the troll society viewed them. She wasn't sure if she'd heard of this color blood or not.

He took his hand off of his cut. "Yeah…"

They were silent for a moment.

"So how'd you die?" Nepeta asked.

"Some girl I didn't know shot me three times." He shrugged.

Nepeta looked slightly confused. "Um, well… Are you ok?"

"Yeah. But I feel a little lightheaded. Oh f*** I think I'm going to pass out." He trailed off, slumping with his eyes closed.

Nepeta bit her lip, jumping forward to catch him. It felt strange touching him when he wasn't conscious. She carefully picked him up, slinging him over her shoulder. She ran as fast as she could with him weighing her down, to her hive thing.

Without thinking of any consequences, she gave him a health potion. A couple seconds later, he woke up on her fuzzy animal skin.

"Where am I?"

"My hive. It's a cave. Isn't it pawesome!" She turned away, silently cursing herself. She'd let another cat pun slip.

"What's a f***ing hive?" He sat up, looking around.

"Oh! It's a troll's house!"

"What's this?" He looked at her shipping wall.

"Oh…um. That's my…"

"Is this me? And you?" He looked closer at a picture that had the words "oh yessssss" written underneath it. Above it was a small red heart.

"Maybe." She squeaked out, blushing a deep shade of green, and using her hands to hide her face. He glanced over at her, blushing slightly.

He threw his hands up in the air, as if to say "f*** it" and he went over and hugged her.

"You know you really are adorable, especially when you use those cat puns."

"Really?" She peeked at him between her hands.

"Of course." He said softly. Her eyes widened. She'd never seen this side of him before.

**A/R: Extra long chapter, because it's chapter 50. Ok, so. 50 chapters is a big deal. You all remember how 25 chapters ago I went back to the beginning and edited? Well that's going to happen now! Because I've been itching to edit for a long time, and I really feel like I need to. This may take a while though, along with a crapload of classes and homework coming up in less than a week. Hope you guys can bear with me! See you on the other side!**


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